Walking Exercise – Biggest Benefits

Published: February 18, 2019

Many people feel like walking is not that great of an exercise. Like that is something done every day, so it doesn’t count. However, that cannot be further from the truth. Walking is incredibly beneficial for your health. It can improve your overall health, circulation, regulate blood pressure, etc. It can even reduce the risk of cancer. So, don’t write off walking as an exercise just yet. You’ll be surprised by the results you can get with walking. Here are some walking exercise tips that will help you get in shape in no time!

Why is walking exercise beneficial?

As it was mentioned before, people usually think that a walking exercise is no exercise. However, you’d be surprised to see what walking actually does for your health. With such a light form of exercise, you can actually lose or maintain your weight (depending on your goals), strengthen your muscles, as well as your bones, improve your memory, lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. There have even been studies that claim that regular walking exercise can lower stress and increase life span. Those are all things people usually don’t consider when they imagine working out. Also, if you’ve recently moved to Dubai, it is good to know that walking is actually one of the best ways of staying healthy after moving to another country.

Work out at your own pace

When thinking about exercise, you most likely imagine toned men and women spending hours at the gym. Then you fear that you can’t do the things that those men and women do. Most people that have moved to Dubai and hit the gym see all those well-toned people and start to doubt themselves. However, that is not the right perspective. Those men and women have spent hours and hours getting stronger, increasing their stamina and toning their bodies. They also had to start somewhere. It is all about the workout routine you plan to build. You should start with light exercise and then increase their difficulty. It is all about being realistic. So, start with the walking exercise and build on up from there.

Who should do walking exercises?

Anyone, and we mean anyone can benefit from walking exercises. As it was said, walking is incredibly useful and increases overall health. So it shouldn’t be dismissed easily. However, there are a few groups that would certainly benefit most from walking. For instance, older people who would like to start exercising regularly should not just “jump into it.” It is necessary to build the stamina and not to exert yourself too much. As we get older, the likelihood of injuries increases as our joints and bones change. But a walking exercise is a good way to avoid such injuries.

In addition, pregnant women that need to remain fit for health reasons should also look into walking as a form of exercise, or even yoga. Those are all light forms of exercise that can help women maintain their health during pregnancy. Pregnancy yoga Dubai can help you take care of your health, increase your agility and decrease stress levels.

If you suffer from a chronic injury, a good walking exercise is the perfect way of staying fit without causing any further strain. Sometimes you simply cannot risk getting injured more. It is also good to ask professionals for advice when you start increasing the intensity of your exercises.

Walking exercise tips

There are few walking exercise tips that you can use to get the best results. As with any other forms of exercise, there are a few ways that you can get the most out of it. The main idea here is to increase the duration or the intensity in a way that will not overexert you. Also, you need to follow your own pace, because every person is different. If possible, talk to a professional trainer to create a reasonable and most beneficial plan.

Wear comfortable clothes

Why is this important? Because people often forget that they will sweat during exercise. Choosing the right clothes is a must when doing any type of exercise. And yes, that includes walking.

Always warm up

One of the best walking exercise tips is – of course, to warm up. As with any form of exercise, this is simply necessary. Do some light stretches or a few warm-up exercises. Don’t just jump on the treadmill and think you’ll warm up. It is important to take care of your body and prepare well.

Start at your own pace

It is usually recommended to start at 20 minutes of light walks. But it is necessary for you to decide what is best for your fitness level. While you’re walking, you will feel your pulse going up, which is a sure sign you are doing it right. However, try to control your breath. If you feel that your breathing is becoming somewhat erratic, slow down. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. If you start to feel lightheaded, immediately stop, sit down and drink some water. As it was mentioned, everything needs to be done at your own pace if you want to be successful in your exercises.

Gradually increase the intensity

When you feel you’re ready, you can increase the pace and the duration of the walking exercise. Or, if this suits you better, increase the pace first. You can even increase the duration first. It’s all about what you are most comfortable with and what your body can handle.

Try to “mix it up”

If this is more up your alley, you can “mix it up” with fast-slow intervals. For instance, instead of walking at the same pace, you can alternate between slow and fast walking. You can decide your own intervals. For instance, for every ten minutes of slow walking, you can do two or three minutes of fast-paced walking. Or, for every five minutes you go slow, you can take one minute to go fast. This is also incredibly useful when trying to lose weight and toning your muscles.

Try the uphill mode

If you decide to walk in nature, you can definitely hike the nearest mountain and get a good workout. Just make sure you’re prepared for the exertion. Take water and some power bars with you. If, however, you choose to walk on a treadmill, then it is also good to try out the uphill mode. Also, it is good to alternate between uphill mode and the flat walk.