Walking workout

The UK is largely populated with sedentary workers, we take less and less exercise. Yet one of the most simple forms is also the most effective - walking. There is evidence to suggest that regular brisk walks could be as good for us, if not better, than strenuous jogging. WHAT DOES WALKING DO TO YOUR BODY?

Regular walking, like most aerobic activities, is great for you because cardio-vascular exercise strengthens the heart and lungs, overall increasing fitness. Together with healthy diet and other exercise plans, it can also help with weight loss and tone up muscles

A sports science lecturer at the University of Exeter is a firm believer in the benefits of walking, and said: ‘It can improve muscle endurance as well as muscle strength, especially in the lower body.

‘It is also good for bones and improves the body’s cardiovascular system. It also helps boost circulation.

Power-walking - keeping a brisk pace at moderate to high intensity - can burn the same amount of calories as running or jogging. So it is very useful for helping with weight loss ‘Because it is low impact, it does not have the same potential for injury as jogging or running. Yet it can offer all the benefits.’ Walking helps to drain the lower legs of excess fluid and can help prevent varicose veins through the pumping action of the calf muscles. The increased supply of oxygen exercise promotes also gets rid of the waste products in the tissues. Because more people are able to walk at a consistent speed than run, it is a more beneficial form of tissue-cleansing, particularly for people over-50, As jogging can actually cause more problems.' Did you know walking is also better for the spine than running, as it puts less stress on the discs. As we are designed for constant movement, not sitting in cars or in front of computers, which causes negative pressures on our spinal cord. Regular walking is excellent for spinal discs, which receive minerals and vitamins through the pumping action it causes. The best thing is that you can see results from walking very quickly - although it depends on each person's individual level of fitness, age and how often and fast they are walking. WHAT DOES IT DO TO YOUR FEET?

The main players in regular walking are, of course, your feet. And we don’t use them in the best way. Our feet were made for walking about. And that’s exactly what they should do as It’s the best way of exercising the 50-odd muscles we have in our feet.

A fitness trainer for the GMTV Inch Loss Beach regime, points out that although we learn to walk as infants, very few of us have continued to walk correctly. For instance, a slight 'bounce' while walking not only slows you down, but also places a strain on joints. When taking a step, let the heel land first. If you think about how your body weight is distributed, it makes sense to land the foot in a heel-to-toe motion as you take the movement from heel towards the ball of the foot, try to make a slight rolling motion inwards. This will help to give you more power when you push off with your foot. The result will be a faster stride. Walking can burn just as many calories as jogging if you walk with a special technique. It’s called the race walking wiggle. If you walk with a slight swivel in your hips with each stride, it makes you move faster. Yes, it can make you look a little strange but, mile for mile, it uses the same calories as you would if you were jogging.' Also maintaining your posture also makes a huge contribution in obtaining the maximum benefits from walking. walk tall and also holding the ribcage up and tummy muscles in. This means you get an additional midriff work-out while walking. Also it’s advised to squeeze your bottom in as you walk since this tightens the gluteus maximus muscles.

Imagine you are holding a £50 note between the cheeks, so that you achieve a firmer bottom and also get a more effective walking session.' Government health recommendations suggest we need to exercise for 30 minutes daily, for a minimum of five days a week. But you can split the walk into a couple of 15-minute journeys each day or make up for lost time with an extra-long walk at the weekend.

Walking beats other forms of exercise as there are excellent strategies for boosting the amount you do. For example, getting off at an earlier bus-stop than your usual one will add on a two to three minute walk. That may not sound much, but if you do that twice a day, every day, it all adds up. Another great tip is walking up a flight of stairs instead of taking the lift. Even a brisk walk around the block for ten minutes in your lunch break contributes to your daily walking too. HOW TO KEEP IT UP?

Also there is psychological benefits to walking. When you walk, just like any other form of exercise, your body has a chemical release of serotonin, the natural feel good chemical. Also the release of endorphins, which are happy hormones, which is why people feel on a natural high at the end of an exercise session. Remembering how you feel should be an incentive for you to keep it up. However linking up with a 'walking buddy' can also help with motivation. If you have a commitment to meet a friend for that walk, you are less likely to cancel. Where as if you are planning to walk on your own, it is often easier to make excuses and put it off.