NoExcusesGym

 This is the season for charity walks - and doing good can be good for you. Most walkathons welcome participants of all ability levels, and many will allow whole families to walk together.

Walking is great exercise, but you really must hoof it for an extended period to get a leg up in your battle of the bulge.

“Although moderate-intensity physical activity does provide numerous health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and risks for systemic inflammation and type 2 diabetes, you better increase the intensity of your activity to lose weight unless you exercise more than an hour almost every day,� says Dong-Chul Seo, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Applied Health Science.

10 tips to start a walking program
If you want to start a walking program, here are eight tips to keep in mind:

•  Choose a safe place to walk. Make sure there are plenty of lights and other people exercising at the same time.

•  Start slowly and keep the pace for about a week to avoid stiff and sore muscles and joints, increasing it in length and time when you feel comfortable.

•  Find a partner or group of people to walk with you, but make sure they can walk at your level and speed.

•  Wear shoes with thick, flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock.

•  Wear synthetic fabrics that absorb sweat and remove it from your skin.

•  Wear a baseball cap or visor in the summer; a knit cap in the winter.

•  Perform light stretching exercises before and after you walk.

•  Begin by walking slowly for five minutes to give your body a chance to warm up. Increase your speed for the next five minutes.

•  Don’t forget to cool down as you near the end of your walking route.
 
•  Walk at least three times per week. If it’s raining outside, find an enclosed shopping  mall or a tall office building in which you can walk up the steps.

source: nubella news