If you are trying to slim down, tone up, or just generally stay in good shape, you might be wondering what types of exercise you can do to meet your health and fitness goals. If you enjoy walking, you’re in luck!
Walking is a fantastic, low-impact workout that can do wonders for your health. Although it may not be burning a lot of calories since it is low-intensity (i.e., it isn’t drastically raising your heart rate), it does efficiently burn calories and small additions like ankle or hand weights can help you burn even more.
Can You Burn Enough to Lose Weight?
How many calories you burn walking depends on the grade of incline, your speed, and your body weight. There are many calculators online if you want to get a better idea of how many calories walking can burn for you. But, realize that burning calories is far from the only benefit.
Walking is also a great way to work your body’s primary muscle groups while stimulating the digestive system and enjoying all the other perks that come along with simply moving your body. Compared to running, walking clearly burns fewer calories but it also has a very low impact on your bones and joints, which makes it particularly great for those who suffer from pain or injuries.
All in all, walking is definitely a good form of exercise no matter your age. It’s also the perfect activity to add into your daily routine with minimal effort. In fact, choosing to walk to places that you’d previously drive to can make a huge difference overtime in your stamina and daily activity levels. For example, parking further from the door or taking the stairs are great ways to make a small change in your routine that can add up big in the long run.
Additionally, waking is wonderful as a recovery day exercise. Most people who workout regularly realize the importance of having a rest or recovery day as part of their routine, but just because it’s a “Rest” day doesn’t mean you should veg out on the sofa. It’s important that you don’t come to a full stop on your rest day. You need to keep moving forward, albeit at a slower pace so your muscles can recover from all the hard work.
Walking is an excellent recovery exercise since it’s low impact and low intensity, yet still offers a wide range of health benefits for all those who choose to walk.
