Focus On Walking For Health

Stride your way to a longer life

This year we rediscovered the well-being benefits of a daily stroll. Walking blasts cabin fever and improves your health – with the bonus that it can be done any time, anywhere. ‘The health benefits of walking are invaluable,’ agrees Aisling O’Malley, clinical specialist physiotherapist at London Bridge Hospital. ‘Not only does it give you a cardiovascular workout, which is great for your heart and lungs, it also helps you to strengthen the main muscles of your lower limbs and aids in maintaining healthy bone density.’ Let’s learn more about this free and easy way to stay fit.

GET ENERGISED

In terms of effort levels, a brisk walk measures about six out of 10. So if you’re tired, this is the perfect amount of exertion to make you feel alert without sapping energy reserves and leaving you fatigued afterwards. Next time you’re slumped on the sofa, get up and give it a go.

BEAT CRAVINGS

A 15-minute, mid-afternoon walk could stop you reaching for the chocolate bars. Snacking on high-calorie foods can become a mindless habit that leads to weight gain, but in one study** it was found that a short walk helped people to regulate their intake by half.

REGULATE HORMONES

According to a study by the American Cancer Society, women who walk regularly after the menopause may lower their risk of breast cancer – even when doing no other form of exercise. It’s believed that walking for at least an hour a day cuts the risk by 14%, because it regulates levels of hormones that can encourage breast tumours to grow.

20 MINUTES