DAILY WALKING OR JOGGING - CONFUSED ??

DAILY WALKING OR JOGGING - CONFUSED ??

I find many people are confused whether they should walk or jog daily for general fitness. In this blog I will clear all your doubts about the same, especially if you are in your 50's or above. 

A 30-45 minutes walk every day can boost your metabolism for up to 12 hours after the walk ! Paring a healthy balanced diet with a 30-45 minutes of walk can help you lose some amount of weight without even doing much exercise. Additional benefits of walking include strengthening your bones & improving your attention & memory. Specifically when walking in nature, research has shown 20% increase in attention & memory. Sunshine provides VITAMIN D , breathing PURE AIR calms nervous system, the different COLOURS OF NATURE - GREEN walking or FOREST bathing (Nature Walking) is phenomenally  good for our overall physical & mental heath. It should be made a routine to at least go for a MODERATE / MID-ALTITUDE TREKKING for minimum 10-15 days in a year, considering the missing nature in most of our city life. 

The need to walk is baked into our DNA. We are meant to eat & then move & not eat & just sit on our butts. We are built to WALK. Walking has no age limit, rather you should walk more as you age. 

Walking is totally free, easy exercise that requires little effort, & benefits not only physical but also your mental well-being. If you are looking for a simple yet very effective way of losing weight & improving your overall health, walking is something just for you.

People who are physically active throughout their life are much less prone to disease than those who have more volume in their hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for verbal memory and learning. A daily 30-45 minutes walk helps avoid serious problems, like coronary heart disease to name one, by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels thus improving blood circulation. Because of better quality and deeper breathing , some symptoms associated with lung diseases can show significant improvement, thanks to walking. Muscle tone and weight loss is also totally achievable through simple walking. 

Find your optimal pace, but do not break into a jog.This sort of speed walking is low impact and does not require any recovery time, which means no sore muscles to keep you from getting out and walk the next day.

Let us now see what happens to your body if you walk every day : 

1. BRAIN BOOSTING EFFECT - a study in the university of Kansas has revealed that low impact aerobic exercises like walking prevent the early onset of dementia and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Over 35 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer's & sadly it is only going worse. People who are much active throughout their life are less prone to this disease. Walking improves your overall mental well being by reducing stress and releasing endorphins , it stimulates not only the production of chemicals responsible for brain health but also  the growth of neuro blood vessels and cells. 

2.  IMPROVES EYE SIGHT - walking can help fight Glaucoma by relieving eye pressure. Glaucoma develops when too much fluid builds up in the eyes increasing the pressure in the eye, that pressure in turn effect the optic nerve which results in visual impairment . Walking is the best way in reducing the risk of developing Glaucoma. Walking also strengthens and stimulates the visual cortex , the part of the brain that processes the images that eyes sent to it.

3. PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASE - walking makes your heart stronger, according to American heart Association walking is very effective in prevention of heart disease and stroke. A daily half-hour walk helps avoiding serious heart problems like coronary heart disease by lowering high blood pressure & cholesterol levels and in improving blood circulation.

4. INCREASE LUNG VOLUME - walking is an aerobic exercise which means it increases oxygen flow in the blood stream & helps eliminate toxins and waste. It is great for your lungs because of better quality and deeper breathing, some symptoms associated with lung disease can show significant improvement, the stress and medication that lung disease  bring with it weaken the immune system of those suffering from it. Walking is thus an immunity booster.

5. BENEFITS FOR THE PANCREAS - walking is more effective in preventing Diabetes than jogging. In a research it was found that a group of daily walkers demonstrated 6 times greater improvement in glucose tolerance more blood sugar absorption than a group of runners. More efficient use of blood sugar allows your pancreas to produce less insulin , giving it a much needed rest to gather strength.

6. IMPROVES DIGESTION - just half an hour of walking not only reduces the risk of cologne cancer but also improves digestion and bowel movements. Walking is very good for those suffering from constipation , walking improves the chances of surviving cologne cancer even after being diagnosed. This was discovered when 1,50,000 men and women , where activity levels were compared with the number of those who got colon  cancer and died of it.

7. TONED MUSCLES - muscle tone and weight loss is totally achievable through simple walking. In fact just 10,000 steps a day is as effective as full blown workout in a gym, especially if you add some intervals of up-hill walking, just remember to use correct form - keep your spine straight , bend your elbows at 90 degrees angle, swing your arms and stabilize your pelvis, find your optimal pace but do not break out into a jog. This sort of speed walking is of low impact and do not require any recovery time, which means no sore muscles.

8. STURDIER BONES AND JOINTS - walking can provide more joint mobility and prevent the loss of bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. Arthritis foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate walking daily to prevent pain, stiffness and inflammation in the joints. Building strong bones will help you prevent osteoporosis and reduce bone loss.

9. BACK PAIN RELIEF - walk is a real life saver for those experiencing back pain during more challenging  high impact exercises , since walking is a low impact activity it wont cause pain or discomfort like running or HIT would. Walking contributes to more blood circulation within the spinal structure helping movement of important nutrients in to the soft tissues improving posture and flexibility , both of which are vital for a healthy spine , as you walk you make your spine more stable and strengthen the muscles that keep your body upright and a better posture adds few inches to your height.

10. A CALMER MIND - if mind and body are connected as is said , then this point is right on target. The journal on Psychic research published the results of a study on 50 individuals suffering from major depression , it show walking 30-45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, improved their condition significantly, if walking improves depression symptoms in patients then imagine how easily it can help us cope when feeling down or exhausted . Another group of researchers at Iowa State University worked with  hundreds of  stressed college students , walking changed their mood , a joyful walk with their friend or loved one enhanced their happy effect in them.

THE FIT FORMULA :

F = Frequency or how often 

I  = Intensity or how fast

T = Time or how long.

To level up, change one of them at a time. 

FREQUENCY - if you can not go out every day , then go 3-5 times a week. If you can handle only 10-15 minutes of walk then do that regularly to start with, but gradually add extra minutes to it , but make it a regular routine.

INTENSITY - 2 to 3 miles ( 3-5 Kilometres ) an hour is a good intensity, if that's too much for you then set your own pace, but a good rule to remember is you should able to talk while walking, if you run out of breath and your heart beats are crazy then you are going too fast some what like jogging.

TIME -  minimum 30 minutes & maximum 45 minutes a day should be your goal , you can also count steps to keep yourself motivating , 6,000 steps a day is a good amount, if that is initially too much then start with what you can manage right now.

Now, do you think walking is worth giving a shot ?