Many people have learned and taken up walking during the pandemic. It’s amazing what a short 30-minute walk can do for your mental health and your physical health. When you walk you’re carrying your own body weight, and this is called a weight-bearing exercise. There are plenty of benefits, including: increased cardiovascular fitness; reduced risk of heart disease and stroke; stronger bones and improved balance; increased muscle strength and endurance; reduced body fat; and enhanced management of hypertension, high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain, and diabetes. 

 

Here are some easy ways to incorporate walking into your daily routine: 

  • Don’t take the elevator or escalator. Take the stairs! 
  • Get off public transportation a stop or two early.
  • If you’re driving yourself, try to park further away then normal. 
  • If you’re it’s feasible, walk to stores instead of driving.
  • Walk your dog on a further route. If you don’t have a dog, see if you can walk a neighbor or friend’s dog.

 

It’ll help your body and mind acclimate to regular daily walks if you try and go at the same time. However, if the same time isn’t convenient, don’t sweat! You’re going to burn the same amount of calories and get the same benefits regardless of whether or not you walk at 11am or 2pm. Another good way to encourage yourself to get moving is to enlist a friend to join you.

Recently, a study was published on over 2,000 adults with a follow-up roughly 11 years after that showed that adults that walked more than 7,000 steps per day had a 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality than those that walked fewer steps. Interestingly, the study didn’t show a correlation between intensity and lowered mortality risk. That means that walking 10,000+ steps didn’t show any increased benefit over walking 7,000 steps. This suggests that the repetition and quantity of steps plays a more important role than the intensity of the activity. 

Take advantage of today! Get outside and get moving. Even just a short walk will have a positive impact on all aspects of your health. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t reach your set step number everyday. As long as you do what you’re capable of, you have nothing to feel bad about! Another way to help boost your health and stay strong is by using supplements to help keep you healthy and have a balanced set of nutrients and vitamins with BodyK’s Active B Trio supplement or with Micellized Vitamin A supplement for immune support. Another service we have available here at BodyK is our Wellness Coaching which will provide you with different ways to improve your health after a brief consult.