A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity have been shown to increase the risk of developing many health problems. Lack of exercise can lead to chronic problems with low back pain, diabetes, cardiovascular complications and psychological problems. All this can be quickly prevented by regular daily walking. An entire book has been written about its benefits.
The fact that we need books and research these days to encourage us to do something as natural as walking is quite worrying. Our ancestors did not need to be reminded that they have to take ten thousand steps a day because it is good for their health. It never occurred to anyone to invent something like a pedometer that counts steps. Walking was something most natural and until a few centuries ago for most the only way to get from point A to point B. a decade ago walking was also a way of socializing; on weekends the mountain huts were full, today the picture at the top of the hills and mountains is quite different. With rare bright exceptions, of course.
If you too often forget that you have legs whose main purpose is walking, we strongly recommend that you read the book Walking from the Healthy and Active collection, published by Učiia. When you realize how many different ways walking brings you to well-being, you will be even more motivated to take advantage of the beautiful spring days in contact with the awakening nature.
SLOW WALKING CANCELED
"In a time of high technology, when everything is fast and advanced, walking as a form of exercise may seem a bit boring and simple, but new research shows that walking enthusiasts benefit from the many benefits that people get from much more intense exercise. but they are less susceptible to injuries, ”reveals Sam Murphy in his book, but emphasizes that with a snail walk down the street or poor walking technique, you will not achieve good physical endurance. "For a good walking program that will increase your fitness, help you lose extra pounds, protect your heart and joints, or just improve your mental and physical well-being, you need some knowledge." But you can quickly acquire and master this. In addition, unlike other ways of walking exercise, you only need to step through the front door and we can already be active, so the excuses of saying we don’t have the right company, time, fitness, money, or available playground fall away.
EXCELLENT AGAINST PROBLEMS WITH JOINTS
Running has become a very popular way to move, but if you have joint problems and are slightly less physically fit, walking will benefit you significantly more. Despite the high temperatures, do not go for a walk in inappropriate footwear, because when walking on the heel, a force equal to 4.5 times the weight of a person presses. When running, this force increases to 9 times the human weight, so in both cases, good footwear is essential. if you have problems with your joints, knees, or spine, walking is more appropriate for you than running because it doesn’t involve landings that could cause new pain. Walking is considered one of the best forms of exercise, which prevents or alleviates back pain and at the same time strengthens ligaments, tendons, cartilage and protects against arthritis and other types of joint deterioration due to aging and inactivity.
30 MINUTES PER DAY
Research shows that walking will bring you beneficial effects if you walk for half an hour every day. And there are really a lot of these effects! "Thirty minutes of walking a day already has a healing effect on heart health," writes the professional journal Doctor and Sports Medicine. Walking also helps to reduce body weight, not only because of calorie consumption, but also by teaching the body to more efficiently release stored fat from "fat" tissue, which it metabolizes or uses for energy. Research at Indiana University has shown that 20 minutes or more of walking significantly improves mental health and that regular walking has the same positive effects as a psychotherapy treatment cycle. Walking is such a great way to get rid of repressed stress. People often complain that they are too tired to exercise, but the fact is that regular exercise improves the quality of sleep, so you wake up fresher in the morning after exercise. "A study involving more than 700 people found that those who walk at least a kilometer a day have a third less trouble sleeping than those who do not walk," the author points out in her book Walking.
WITH A DOG FOR A WALK
Per Astrand, an exercise physiologist, recommended walking to people with the following words: “Everyone should take a dog for a walk every day, even if they don’t have one.” If you follow a few simple tips, you’ll have even more to walk from. “Keep your shoulders relaxed and moving smoothly while walking. Before leaving, shake your shoulders slightly so that they are not closed and tense. In this way, we enable the hands to participate when walking. When moving your arms back and forth, do not try to keep your torso still. This is a natural spiral movement of the body in which the rotation of the torso around the spine is equated with the rotation of the hips. This movement connects the arms and legs. "
It is also important to try to walk with “relaxed” ankles: “Imagine that your foot hangs during the step, it should not be hard. The joints in the knees and ankles do not work individually, but in harmony. A ‘hard’ joint can also damage the knees. The heel touches the ground first, and as the body moves forward, the entire foot gradually comes into contact with the ground. Finally, we push off with our pads and fingers. " When you’re physically fitter, your stride will automatically be faster, but be careful not to try to increase your speed with longer strides. In fact, shorter and faster steps are more effective.
HEATING BEFORE WALKING
We definitely hope that we managed to get many people (even more) excited about walking and that you learned something new about it. But before you go around with light feet, let's emphasize the benefits of heating. You may think this is not necessary for walking, but it is actually more than welcome. “Among other things, the heating puts the joints running and prepares them for walking. The articular cartilage that protects the articular surfaces does not have its own blood supply, but is dependent on the nutrients supplied by the synovial fluid. As it moves, this fluid becomes less sticky and penetrates the joint envelope, moisturizes the joint cartilage and forms a protective protection. It also strengthens the neuromuscular signaling pathways and thus increases the speed and efficiency of muscle contraction. " Just a few minutes of calm preparatory exercises, which we remember from school days, will be enough to prepare you physically and mentally for the exercise. After the warm-up, just put on your sneakers and go to nature. Every day again.
The best exercise for people with low back pain
People who often experience pain in the spine or lower back should choose their form of exercise carefully. In addition to swimming, walking is certainly one of the best choices for them. however, all sports that require any jumps and landings are not recommended. Since low back pain can also be the result of improper exercise, it is crucial that we engage in every physical activity properly and never skip warming up before and stretching after exercise. If we do stretching exercises after the workout, it shortens the recovery time between workouts, reduces the possibility of injuries, improves posture and makes the body more flexible. Experts note that each muscle group should be stretched for 30 seconds a day.
Real footwear
“The heel of the walking shoe is slightly lower and is not widened at the back than with running shoes (this contributes to stability, which is not necessary when walking). In fact, the heel on the back is even slightly cut, allowing smooth foot contact with the ground all the way from the heel to the toes. There should be enough space for the toes so that they can expand when the front of the foot bends and pushes away - if the shoes in the front are narrower, blisters like to form on the toes. The cut part of the Achilles tendon (on the back of the ankle) helps prevent abrasions and inflammation of the tendon, but if you can't find shoes made especially for walking, running shoes are their best approximation, ”says the book Walking, in which the author advises that shoes we buy in the afternoon when the feet are quite dilated.
