Walking back to happiness and health
How many people throughout history never really appreciated a ride until they couldn’t? Imagine that you are suddenly deprived of the ability or freedom for whatever reason to enjoy the simple pleasure of walking in a park or in the countryside; or even a constant walk through an urban area or downtown.
Walking is our most basic form of movement. It is our fundamental locomotion. How much better we feel after a hike, be it a simple stroll along a river bank on a Sunday afternoon or a more athletic hike up high hills. The body always feels better after our efforts.
Did you know that a brisk, regular walk, say 15 minutes a day, will include the following benefits:
1. Tones 80% of the body’s muscles: turns sagging into muscle
2. Stimulate the production of digestive enzymes, which is why a brisk walk before a meal is beneficial for digestion.
3. Weight loss: helps maintain natural body weight
4. Not only walking is good for the heart, it is essential
5. The lungs require you to increase their activity to generate oxygen in the blood.
6. Helps develop a better sense of balance
7. Psychological benefits as a result of being able to interact directly with their environment.
8. The skeleton and joints are preserved – use them or lose them!
9. Great stress buster: a walk supports thought processes and relaxes the mind.
10. Walking is a great sleep aid
11. Suitable for any age, once the crawling stage has passed
12. Helps increase resistance to colds and other similar conditions.
There are many other benefits of walking regularly that become apparent when you actually do it. We can be what we eat, but we are also the product of how much we move, how fast, and how often. An overall sense of well-being and firm muscle tension are added benefits of this small investment of a few minutes each day. All in all, walking is probably the best all-round exercise you can enjoy anywhere, anytime, and at any pace. Walking regularly will undoubtedly help you regain health … and happiness.