Walking also helps circulate blood, process lactic acid and improve
lymph drainage (important to the body’s waste-removal
system).
Walking is one of the best ways to get started on an exercise pro-
gram since it’s a simple, low-stress workout that is not easily over-
done. Walkers generally have little difficulty keeping their heart rates
from getting too high, though there are exceptions. If there’s a prob-
lem with walking, it’s that the heart rate won’t go high enough into
the maximum aerobic range (which isn’t absolutely necessary). The
mechanics of walking result in less gravity stress than you experience
jogging or running, but still enough to give you the important fat-
burning benefits, and others such as bone-strengthening effects.
We’ve all heard and read about the many wonderful benefits of
exercise. But did you know most studies that demonstrate these great
benefits were done using walking? You don’t need to make exercise
complicated, expensive or intense. And I’m talking about just an easy
walk — not power walking, race walking or carrying weights. Here
are some of the facts about the benefits of easy walking:
- Regular, easy walking increases life expectancy. It also
helps older adults maintain their functional independ-
ence, an important concern for society. Currently, the
average number of non-functional years in our elderly
population is about 12. That’s a dozen years at the end of
a lifespan of doing nothing: unable to care for yourself,
walk, be productive or just enjoy life. - Regular, easy physical exercise such as walking can help
prevent and manage coronary heart disease, the leading
cause of death in the United States, as well as hyperten-
sion, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. This occurs
through improved balance of blood fats, better clotting
factors, improved circulation and the ability to more effi-
ciently regulate blood sugar. - Regular exercise like walking decreases your risk of
developing degenerative disease. The lack of exercise
places more people at risk for coronary heart disease than
all other risk factors. Aerobic deficiency is an independ-
214 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH