Getting your daily steps in can help to give your heart the workout it needs to stay in top condition, and it’s also a great low impact and low intensity way to stay fit and healthy. Walking is also good for your mental wellbeing, and is free easy and free to do – with plenty of different ways that you can incorporate it into your daily routine!
Physical health benefits
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Keeps your muscles and bones healthy
- Increases your cardiovascular fitness
Mental health benefits
Exercise releases feel-good hormones, and studies have shown it can provide:
- Improved mood
- Reduced stress
- Better sleep
- Increased energy
It’s recommended that we exercise for at least two and a half hours per week, which may understandably sound overwhelming, especially if you struggle to be active generally.
How to incorporate more walking into your daily routine
You probably walk more than you realise on a daily basis, however there are some great ways that you can increase your steps to make sure you’re getting enough in every day:
- Walk to the shops
- Take the stairs
- Try to incorporate some walking into your commute to work or on the school run
- Arranging a walk at the weekend with friends or family
If you want to use walking to really improve your fitness, try varying your speed by walking briskly in bursts, which you can then gradually build up into a full brisk walk. As time goes on, try to walk for longer and introduce some inclines or hills into your route.
There are plenty of ways to make walking a habit too. Stay motivated to walk by using mobile phone apps to track your steps and distance, a good starting point is 10,000 steps per day. You could even try joining a local walking group to, to meet like-minded people who all want to stay active.
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