Many of us feel that when we don’t make it to the gym, we’ve let ourselves down in achieving our weight loss goals. While it’s true that you should make every effort to dedicate exclusive time to working out daily, it doesn’t ALWAYS have to be at the gym.
Taking a short stroll with a friend during a lunch break does you more good than you might know. It’s the most natural form of exercise and it’s free, so no excuses!
Here are our top reasons why walking should be part of your daily routine:
Burns Calories
Walking for an hour a day will burn approximately 300 calories which is more than 200 calories a week. Of course this depends on how much you weigh, whether you are at an incline and how fast you are going, but in general you’ll be buying a few hundred extra calories a day by taking a couple of extra strolls through the day.
Reduces stress and clears the mind
Walking helps clear your mind of problems and has shown to help reduce stress. Often times, walking can help you find alternate solutions to problems in your life that you may not have thought of when stuck in the heated moment of your particular challenge. Many studies have also shown that physical activity such as walking can help alleviate depression. And if you want to get real scientific about it, an additional 5-6 miles of walking helps with brain volume and memory preservation as we get older according to National Institute of Aging study which you can read here.
Helps catch up with friends
It’s always good to have a buddy to talk with while walking but it also helps with accountability. You are more likely to take walks when you schedule them with friends or co-workers. Next time you have a lunch date with a friend, cut the eating time down by 20 minutes and take a stroll!
Improves overall health
Daily walking helps to improve everything from muscle endurance to bone density to better breathing. You’ll find that over time you’ll start feeling better and you’ll be able to go for longer walks.
So, after you are done reading this blog, what are you going to do? Get movin’ and take a walk!
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