Walking for Health

Studies show that walking can:

1- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
2- Lower blood pressure
3- Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile
4- Reduce body fat
5- Enhance mental well being
6- Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis
7- Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon
8- Reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes
9- Help to control body weight
10- Help osteoarthritis
11- Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls 

(Sources: Davison & Grant 1993, US Dept of Health 1996, British Heart Foundation 2000) 

Whether you want to walk to improve your general health, to keep fit, to control your weight, or perhaps to recover from a period of ill-health, walking can help. It is something that can be done with children or older family members, it need cost you nothing, and can fit in with any lifestyle, income bracket, culture or domestic circumstance.

Regular participation in physical activity (like walking) is associated with reduced mortality rates for both older and younger adults (US Dept of Health 1996). In other words, walkers live longer! In particular, walking has a high impact on cardiovascular disease. Fit and active individuals have around half the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to unfit inactive people. This level of risk is similar to smoking, high blood pressure or high cholesterol in causing heart disease. Fit walkers are less likely to fall and suffer injuries such as hip fractures because the bones are strengthened; less likely to sustain injury because joints have a better range of movement and muscles are more flexible; less prone to depression and anxiety; tend to be good sleepers; and are better able to control body weight. For general health, experts recommend accumulating a total of 30 minutes of brisk walking on most, but preferably all, days of the week. 

To get the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can most days of the week. 'Brisk' means that you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Moderate activities such as walking pose little health risk but, if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity. 

For more information on fitness and walking, visit Walk and Ramble's 'Walking for Fitness' and 'Nordic Walking' advice pages., where you can get more information increasingly popular walking poles.  

If it's too difficult to walk for 30 minutes at one time, do regular small bouts (10 minutes) three times per day. If you want to lose weight, you will need to do physical activity for longer than 30 minutes each day. You can achieve this by starting with smaller bouts of activity throughout the day, as suggested above, and eventually building up to sessions of more than 30 minutes. Physical activity built into a daily lifestyle plan is also one of the most effective ways to assist with weight loss and keep weight off once it's lost. Here are some ways to build walking into your daily routine: Try taking the stairs instead of the lift (for at least part of the way). Get off public transport one stop earlier and walk to work or home. Do housework like vacuuming. Walk (don't drive) to the local shops. Walk the dog (or your neighbour's dog).  

Try to make walking a routine - for example, try to walk at the same time each day. Remember, you use the same amount of energy no matter what time of day you walk, so do what is most convenient for you. You may find that asking someone to walk with you will help make it a regular activity. Some people find that keeping an 'activity diary or log' also makes it easier.

A pedometer measures the number of steps you take. You can use it to measure your movement throughout a day and compare it to other days or to recommended amounts. This may motivate you to move more. The recommended number of steps accumulated per day to achieve health benefits is 10,000 steps or more.  

See Walk and Ramble's range of pedometer's in the online walking shop.

For most people, there is little difference in the amount of energy used by walking a kilometre or running a kilometre - it's just that walking takes longer. Plan to cover a set distance each day and monitor how long it takes you to walk this distance. As your fitness improves, you will be able to walk a longer distance and use more energy. Walking fast burns more kilojoules per hour than walking slowly, but this doesn't mean you have to push yourself until you're breathless. Instead, pace yourself so that you can still talk. This simple rule of thumb enables you to walk safely within your target heart rate, which brings about health gains. The body has a tendency to get used to physical activity, so continue to increase your intensity over subsequent sessions and thus improve your fitness levels. You can increase the intensity of your walks by: Walking up hills, walking with hand weights, increasing your walking speed gradually by incorporating bouts of quick walking, increasing the distance you walk quickly before returning to a moderate walking pace and walking for longer. 

The best way to warm up is to walk slowly. Start off each walk at a leisurely pace to give your muscles time to warm up, and then pick up the speed. Afterwards, gently stretch your leg muscles - particularly your calves and front and back thighs. Stretches should be held for about 20 seconds. If you feel any pain, ease off the stretch. Don't bounce or jolt, or you could overstretch muscle tissue and cause microscopic tears, which lead to muscle stiffness and tenderness. It's best to dress lightly when you do physical activity. Dressing too warmly can increase sweating and build up body temperature, which can make you uncomfortable during a walk or possibly cause skin irritations. A gradual cool down will also prevent muscular stiffness and injury. 

Walking is a low cost and effective form of exercise. However, the wrong type of walking boots, shoes or even your walking style, can cause foot or shin pain, blisters and injuries to soft tissue. Make sure your walking boots are comfortable, with appropriate heel and arch supports.  Take light, easy steps and make sure your heel touches down before your toes. Whenever possible, walk on grass rather than concrete to help absorb the impact.  

You can see a range of high quality, specialist men's walking boots and women's walking boots in Walk and Ramble's online walking shop, or more walking boots advice in the gear advice section.

To make regular walking a pleasurable form of physical activity, wear loose and comfortable outdoor clothing. Protect yourself from the sun when walking with clothes, sunglasses, a hat and sun block. Wear waterproof jackets and trousers to avoid getting wet if it rains. Drink plenty of fluids before and after your walk. If you are taking a long walk, take water with you (see: water bottles and bladders). Vary your walking routes so you can enjoy the change in scenery. Walk with a friend and combine physical activity with socialising. Join a local walking club. If you have a medical condition or any health concerns, check with your doctor before you start any type of physical activity program. 

If you have any more queries about walking or hiking, clothing or equipment, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are walking enthusiasts ourselves so will be more than happy to help.