Walk With Me Now!
Walking is the most underrated exercise out there, but why?
After my first pregnancy, which I gained around 50 pounds during, I picked up walking as a way to mentally and emotionally "get out", but little did I know that it would physically make a huge difference.
I started walking with my son Wes every morning, we would wake up, eat breakfast, and get right outside! I was lucky enough that he was born in March so we hit peak weather!
When I became pregnant with my second, I was determined to NOT gain 50 pounds so I just figured, let's keep walking and doing as much as I can....then Covid happened.
It was tough to do anything extra, I was teaching yoga and dance from home which proved to be more difficult than ever, and adding pregnancy to the mix was near impossible... but what I never stopped doing was walking.
I walked ALL. THE. TIME. It kept me sane and kept both Wes and I occupied when the entire world stopped. In my second pregnancy, I only gained 15 pounds and I credit a lot of that to walking, plus running, after a 2-year old that is.
So why is walking so beneficial?
Here are just a few reasons!
Burn calories
Strengthen your heart
Walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by about 19%. And your risk may reduce even more when you increase the duration or distance you walk per day.
Lower your blood sugar
A small study found that taking a 15-minute walk three times a day (after breakfast, lunch, and dinner) improved blood sugar levels more than taking a 45-minute walk at another point during the day.
Eases joint pain
Walking can help protect the joints, including your knees and hips. That’s because it helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that support the joints.
Boost immune function
Boost your energy
Improve your mood
Walking can help your mental health. Studies show it can help reduce anxiety, depression, and a negative mood. It can also boost self-esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal.
Extend your life
Walking at a faster pace could extend your life. Researchers found that walking at an average pace compared to a slow pace resulted in a 20 percent reduced risk of overall death.
Read about more of the benefits over at this article!
So Let's get moving! Join me for some strolls! I've started a walking club and would love to have you join us! You can find us over on Facebook at this link. Or join me in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Research Month 40 Mile Walk Challenge for the month of May!