Walk This Way into 2022

If we’ve learned anything over the last couple of years, it’s that we can’t take our health for granted. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, a lot of us make the classic mistake of setting huge, often unrealistic health goals. Luckily, I have a great one for you – no matter who, or how active you are. In 2022, walk more.

Walking is a great form of exercise and is beneficial for both your mind and body. Walking is cheap, easy and can be built into your daily routine. In fact, a brisk 30-minute walk can be the best prescription for your overall health. So leave the excuses behind in 2021 and make this the year that you get yourself and your family moving.

Benefits of walking:

“Use it or lose it”

As we age, we lose muscle mass, bone mass and aerobic fitness levels rapidly, especially if we are inactive. Keeping fit as we age can increase longevity and improve your overall health. 

Improves Physical Health

Exercising starts a biological process of events that results in many health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease and diabetes, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure. Regular walking strengthens the muscles that support your joints, keeping them supple and mobile. Walking is especially important for people suffering from bone-related conditions such as osteoarthritis, as it helps to keep joints moving fluidly. 

Mood-Lifter

Walking encourages the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better. It also stimulates the production of energy-increasing hormones, including cortisol and endorphins, which help to reduce stress and anxiety. Walking has been shown to be highly beneficial for people suffering with anxiety and depression as well as reducing the risk of dementia.

Improves Creativity

Our brains are programmed to observe the world around us. Going for a walk in nature provides new stimuli, which can help promote creativity and help with our problem-solving abilities. Staying cooped up indoors is literally mind-destroying!

Weight Loss

Walking can be hugely beneficial as part of a fat-loss programme. 10,000 steps is the magical number that’s often quoted, but in fact, there’s no scientific reason behind 10,000. My mantra is “movement is medicine” and actually, doing something is better than nothing. The simple rule is to take a lot of steps – as many as possible! It’s all about the little changes adding up to create a bigger picture. Walking at a ‘brisk’ pace is the most effective way of burning fat.

Top Tips to help you Walk more in 2022:

• Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes that support the arches of your feet.
• If you’re not motivated to go alone, or don’t feel safe, find a walking buddy. Get the family involved, grab a friend or try a walking meeting with a colleague. Having some company might make you more inclined to actually get out there and move and will distract you from the effort.
• Park at the furthest point in the car park to get some extra steps in.
• Track your progress – you can’t achieve a goal you’re not tracking, so use the step counter on your phone or smartwatch and hold yourself accountable by checking your step-count daily.
• If you plan to walk late at night or don’t feel safe walking alone, I would recommend buying a personal alarm. I have this one from Amazon, which is permanently attached to my keys and makes me feel safer when out alone. 

Make walking part of your routine and have a think how you can fit more steps into your day.

So – up for the challenge? Start slowly and build your way up as it gets easier. Remember – every step counts!

If you would like any more information, or to see how we can help, please contact us here.

Naomi Burns, January 2022