Why Walking Works
Walking For Fitness
Without even looking like an exercise, walking produces the same physical fitness, health and weight control benefits as high-intensity, high-impact exercises but without the dangers and hazards.
Compared with running (a high-intensity, high-impact exercise), walking produces much less stress on the knee joints – your feet strike the ground with only 1-1.5 times body weight when walking compared with 3-4 times when running. Whereas running mainly builds muscles at the front of the thighs and the back of the calves, walking builds the muscles of the entire leg. From a biomechanical point of view, walking is the easiest and safest aerobic exercise.
Here are just some of the benefits you will gain from fitness walking:
- Improved heart health
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower cholesterol – increases ‘good cholesterol’
- Strengthens bones – helps to prevent osteoporosis
- Reduces stress
- Improves mood and increases sense of well-being through release of endorphins
- First class calorie burning – depletes fat, not muscle
- Metabolic rate increased 1- 4 hrs after walk, assisting further weight loss
- May raise resting metabolism – assisting weight loss
- Successful long term weight maintenance
- Increased cardiovascular conditioning
- Improved muscle tone and strength
- Easiest and safest way for all the family to keep fit
- Easiest long term exercise
If you are unfit, pregnant, or have a diagnosed medical problem which will affect your ability to exercise, you should check with your doctor before commencing with a vigorous fitness walking program.