Why Walk? Benefits of Walking and the Wonder of Personal Rewards
BySandra Ahten
General Health RSS Feed
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.
~~Dr. Seuss
Whether you go alone or with a friend, the benefits of walking are many and varied. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, a brisk walk increases oxygen intake and gets the heart pumping, which in turn can contribute to lower blood pressure. Other benefits of walking include stemming the onset of degenerative joint disease, helping to reduce stress, and aiding in getting a good night's sleep.
I often hear people say that they enjoy walking after they get out the door and on their way—but that they find it difficult to get started. Knowing the benefits of walking just aren’t enough. Knowing the many personal rewards that can come with walking, however, have helped many of my clients get out and get moving.
In order to find your motivation, choose from the categories below to identify your own personal rewards. Mix and match various types of walking in your schedule to prevent boredom and to reap the full myriad of benefits of walking.
Personal Reward: Spiritual/Mental Centering
In the book Walking in This World, author Julia Cameron says, “Most of us spend life on the run, too busy and too hurried to walk anywhere. Beset by problems and difficulties, we feel walking is a frivolous waste of time. ‘When will I do it?’ becomes one more problem . . . the truth is that walking holds our solutions.”
Susan Cosio, a chaplain who recorded her essay, “A Daily Walk Just to Listen,” for NPR’s This I Believe series, would agree. She says, “On my daily walks, I've recognized how to parent my children through difficult situations, been prompted to call a friend I hadn't heard from in a while and felt compelled to reach out to strangers who soon became my friends. I believe in a daily walk to listen because that is when I am close to God; that is when I find my way.”
The benefits of walking for these women went far beyond physical health and into the spiritual. This can be your personal reward for walking, as well. Focus on breathing, or end your walk with a labyrinth walk for additional centering.
Personal Reward: Multi-tasking
One of the many benefits of walking is that it requires no particular time commitment. Find times when you can sneak in short walks. One mother says, “My oldest one has cheerleading two times a week; while she does that I walk four times around the track with the baby in a stroller.”
Schedule the time to walk to appointments or classes. I try to always walk to the library and to my yoga class.
Your personal reward might be walking on the treadmill so that you have time to read or watch TV while you walk. The benefits of walking, and in fact your personal reward, are twofold here—exercise and entertainment.
There are more than 80,000 regularly updated, free podcast (internet radio) programs now available for download onto iPods or other MP3 players. You can learn a language, get weight-loss tips, or listen to your favorite talk radio programs on your own schedule while you walk. Less tech-savvy folks can get a portable CD player and check out audio books from the library.
Personal Reward: Calorie Burning
Keep in mind that the number of calories burned while walking varies greatly according to your pace. A leisurely stroll burns about the same number of calories as activities such as putting away laundry and other housework—about 75 calories an hour; while race walking (at four mph) can burn up to 350 calories per hour for a 155 pound person. The more the that you weigh, the more calories you burn.
Have you seen people walking with trekking poles? This is known as Nordic walking. With the upper-body workout that ensues, you can stay at the same pace, yet burn 40% more calories. The benefits of walking in this fashion are clear, and your personal reward will be weight loss and a new level of fitness.
Personal Reward: Socializing
This personal reward could fall under multi-tasking because you get to bond with a friend or family member while enjoying other benefits of walking as well. Just keep in mind that your companion may have her own pace and attention span. It could be nothing but an exercise in patience if you’re trying to get a cardio workout and your friend is constantly getting the dog leash unwound from the baby stroller.
Still, many people find that the ability to socialize is one of the most fulfilling personal rewards and one of the greatest benefits of walking.
Personal Reward: Accomplishment
If you are the competitive type, then you’ll want to have a pedometer or track a specific goal. Even if you aren’t competitive by nature, marking your daily distance on a calendar, aiming to achieve 10,000 steps a day, or using a training schedule to walk a marathon may help to keep you moving. One of the greatest personal awards is a sense of achievement, and one of the greatest benefits of walking can be proving to yourself just how much you can achieve.
Sandra Ahten, CEO of www.reasonablediet.com, is a professional motivation expert and diet and wellness coach. She is an internationally recognized host for two top-rated diet podcasts: Reasonable Diet Radio and Six Minutes of Sanity. Sandra's clients most often lead very successful lives, yet they still battle with their weight. If this sounds like you, register now for your own free e-course ==> "Five Fact You Absolutely Must Know Before Starting An
Related Articles, Information, Products And Links
Related Articles on General Health
- General Health and Safety Good Habits
- 10 Smart eating habits
- Causes and home remedies for Asthma
- Avoiding Medical Mishaps: Medical Malpractice Attorney Gives Five Basic Tips For Patient Safety
- HEART HEALTH: Evening Primrose Oil -- The ‘King’s Cure-All’
- How the Little Things Add Up
- How to Get a Good Looking Body
- Bike Trips and . . . Diets? Changing Habits and Beating Barriers For a Better Life
- Benefits of Probiotics
- How to Maintain Healthy Joints
- How the brain believes
- Implementing computer workstation ergonomic posture is an investment in you
- What is Osteoarthritis?
- How Detoxification Helps a Drug and Alcohol Addicted Person
- What are Headaches?
- Time Management Skills to Help You Pass Your CPC Exam
- 8 Offbeat Spa Treatments !
- Find Training For Medical Careers Today!
- Sperm Count Enhancement
- Back Pain Before Bowel Movement
Latest Articles on General Health
-
Nutrition And Your Weight Loss Diet
If you are overweight and are prone to overeat through a constant feeling of hunger, it may be that you are not hungry for just food, but your body may actually be hungry for essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, oils, protein and other nutrients that are important for proper and healthy body function.... -
Nutrition And Wellness In Today's Generation
If you are overweight and are prone to overeat through a constant feeling of hunger, it may be that you are not hungry for just food, but your body may actually be hungry for essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, oils, protein and other nutrients that are important for proper and healthy body function.... -
High Blood Pressure Causes, Symptoms & Diet
When your heart beats, it squeezes blood from inside its chambers to the large arteries. This sudden bolus of blood causes normal arteries to expand like balloons do when they fill with air. The walls of arteries have sensors that allow arteries to expand with each pulse of blood.... -
Eye Shadow Make-up Tips
Your make up can make a statement on how you look. You can cover those tired eyes or enhance your charming lips. Choose the right make up style according to the occasion. You can apply a more natural and modest look when going to work and put on those smoky eyes with a little bit of dramatic look for a night out with friends.... -
Treatment Of Acid Reflux
Heartburn may be the most common physical problem known to man, at least in America where we eat just about anything at anytime. This article will take a brief look at the symptoms and treatment of acid reflux disease and hopefully it will help you to gain victory over your suffering. I believe if you follow what is here you can achieve relief.... -
Bodybuilding Training Tips
The first point of note is that a body builder doesn't necessarily need dietary supplements to gain huge muscles. Any form of exercise, when done to the point of exhaustion over and over again, can stop being fun and start being an ordeal. And many people facing ordeals find it easy to avoid them. If your body building workout feels like it is becoming an ordeal, you need to take a break. ... -
Dry Drowning
Pool safety covers are generally available in mesh and in solid fabrics. Mesh pool covers are a popular option in pool safety today. Mesh swimming pool safety covers are designed for both safety and maintenance, and, most often, they are chosen by pool owners who either use their pools infrequently or wish to close the pools down after the swim season has passed.... -
Treat Yeast Infection
Yeast infection may well be the most common affliction suffered by women in their lives, so shouldn't there be several sort of solution to this predicament? The regrettable detail, however, is that most women out there are even now looking for some sort of yeast infection treatment that will rid them of the burden once and for all.... -
How To Get A Flat Stomach
If you want to learn how to get a flat stomach fast then you need to avoid some of the more common mistakes people make along the way. I'm going to briefly cover three main points that will help get you to your physical objectives in the least amount of time.... -
Points To Consider While Choosing The Best Medical Billing School
Medical billing school offers medical billing training on various medical billing courses. But choosing a best medical billing school is also very important. Keeping all this in mind and you’ll definitely choose a good medical billing school for yourself. Medical billing training is easy to pursue and is very helpful for you in seeking good business opportunities....
