How To Use Walking As Part Of Your Daily Fitness Routine

Want a free way to ease stress, quell anxiety, improve your mood and boost your health? It’s time to take a walk…

Taking a walk outside might seem like an incredibly simple thing to do, but on a day when everything seems a little grey, and your mood feels a little flat, it can be the single greatest thing you do for your mind and your body.

Public Health reports that 50 percent of women are not active enough for good health, yet just a 20-minute walk a day has an incredible effect on wellness.

It can lower the risk of depression and heart disease, while simultaneously boosting memory and alertness — it’s the wonder drug that holds the power to change lives, and it’s about time the secret was out.

Easyway to Succeed is here to empower women to take control of their health, one step at a time. Just remember that a complete, effective and safe fitness program has to incorporate muscular strength,  aerobic, flexibility and endurance conditioning.

Muscular conditioning is an important part of a weight management routine as it improves strength and posture and tones muscles.

STEP THIS WAY

Struggling to find the time to get your steps up? We show you how you can easily pack more into your day to meet your goals!

If we told you that we’d discovered a no-sweat way to increase your aerobic workout that can enhance your fitness levels and boost your wellbeing, all while being seamlessly integrated into your daily routine, you’d be interested, right?

Walking is one of the most accessible types of exercises out there – it’s free, you don’t need any equipment and it’s simple to find ways to add it to your day.

Plus, studies show that just 20 minutes of walking can lower your chances of developing depression, but it can also reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your memory.

However, the average person only manages around 4,000 steps daily, which is why we’ve put together this plan to help you do more with minimal effort involved – let’s go!

Let’s take a step back in this how to use walking as part of your fitness routine article.

When Your Alarm Goes Off…

500 Steps

You’d be surprised at how many steps you can get in before you even leave the house in the morning. Walking to the bathroom to shower, back to the bedroom to get dressed and then down to the kitchen for breakfast — it all adds up.

Just ensure that you’re making every second count while you’re getting ready for the day – there’s a lot to be said for pacing on the spot while you brush your teeth, or while the kettle is boiling!

While You’re On-The-Go…

2,000 steps

We get that the commute is quite possibly one of the dullest drudgeries of modern-day life and that you’d do almost anything to eradicate its existence, but a few interjected steps could actually make it more bearable trust us!

Try getting off the tube or the bus a few stops earlier, or parking a little further afield so that you can slot in a 20-minute walk every morning.

Extra brownie points for doing it with a mindful outlook: notice the sound of the colour of the leaves around you and the smell of the rain.

Got a school run to fit into your morning routine? Even better. Apply the same tactic and you’ll be improving your health and your child’s, too. Offer to carry their school bags and you’ve even got yourself a weighted workout! Still having doubts?

Just know that there’s no better form of exercise than that with a purpose. Think about it: even if you’re tired, bored or simply not feeling it, you can’t stop till you get there so it’s a fail-proof method of getting active during the day. You’re welcome.

During Your Break Time…

4,000 Steps

Be honest, how do you tend to spend your lunch breaks? If you’re anything like me, you’re probably used to devouring a salad at your desk, with one hand on the keyboard.

However, it’s one of the worst things you can do for your health, well being and even your productivity. Yes, you read that correctly!

Working through the hour seems like a good way to tackle you’re to do list, but studies show that it can actually reduce your productivity by up to 20 percent.

Nevertheless, a staggering 70 percent of workers admit to skipping their lunch hour on a daily basis. Break the routine by leaving your chair and getting outside for those 60 minutes instead.

A brisk walk can do wonders for your mindset as well as your waistline, but just be sure to keep up
the pace. Why not use this time to catch up on your favourite podcasts?

After Work…

2,000 Steps

When 5pm hits, it’s all too easy to grab your work pals and head down to your nearest local pub or bar to relax after a busy day, but why not walk a little further and try somewhere new? Better yet, try a few places.

Stick to one drink per location with a 1O-minute walk in between each one and happy hour can easily turn into your new favourite fitness session! We recommend fruit juice or sparkling water for ultimate slimming benefits, but if you can’t resist having just one, opt for a clear spirit with a low-sugar mixer such as a vodka, soda and fresh lime (just a single, mind).

When You’re Heading Home…

2,000 Steps

Another great thing about ditching transport 20 minutes from work? You also have to walk 20 minutes to get back. Use this time to reflect on what you’ve done that day and make goals (these can be both personal and career-based) for the upcoming week

In The Evening

2,000 Steps

Even when the day is over, you can still keep on burning calories — it’s all about your approach. Instead of performing a balancing act worthy of a circus when trying to carry your dinner plate/ salad bowl and drink to your dining area, make multiple trips; when you need to use the bathroom, take the stairs rather than using the cloakroom. And if you need to talk to your children or your significant other, go to them instead of hollering at the top of your lungs from another room!

Total Steps: 11,500

Walking Tips

Going on a walk can be a lot more than just heading outside to get some fresh air. For many people, it can be a chance to talk about what’s going on in their Lives.

With our busy lives, finding the time to add an extra stroll into your day can seem a little overwhelming, but even a trip to go and refill your water bottle can help you boost your daily step count. “In terms of overall benefits and accessibility, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better activity than walking,” says Jen Ferruggia, our resident personal trainer.

Walking helps to increase your fitness, improve health, burn calories, as well as increasing bone density and toning the muscles in your lower body.

It’s also much cheaper than a gym membership and easier to fit into your day than other forms of exercise.” It’s all well and good telling yourself that you’re going to move more, but before you start Googling the best walking trainers of 2020, there are a few basics to cover until you’re ready to step out your front door.

Tailor Your Technique

Put one foot in front of the other. Sounds easy, Right? Well, as Jen explains, there’s a bit more to it than that.

1. Try and walk with an upright posture. Imagine growing tall from the crown of your head, with your shoulders back and down. This will help you to breathe more efficiently. You shouldn’t feel any tension in your neck or shoulders, as this can contribute to soreness during, and after, activity.
2. Walk with natural relaxed arm action, allowing your shoulders to rotate forwards and backwards slightly as you move.
3. Pushing off with your glutes will help you walk more efficiently. Place your fingertips against your glutes periodically to check that they are contracting as you move forwards.

Get To Grips With Your Gait

Our gait is simply described as the manner which we move place to place,” says in Jen Ferruggia, personal trainer and fitness expert. “The gait cycle involves two main phases: the stance phase and the swing phase.

The stance phase (from the heel striking to push off) is responsible for 60 percent of our gait cycle while the swing phase (push-off phase to eel strike) is 40 percent of our gait cycle.

We all have subtle variations in our gait, however, a pathological gait is defined as an altered gait pattern due to deformities, weakness or other impairments such as hip, knee or ankle conditions or pain.

Perfect Your Posture

Our posture can affect our walking, but the drivers of this vary in each of us, explains William. “Some individuals tend to walk slightly differently due to anatomical variations, such as leg length discrepancies.

The muscles around our hip and pelvis contribute to our posture and muscle
tightness, and this can also cause changes in our walking pattern.

Individuals with less mobility of their hips or spine might walk a bit more flexed or with a reduced stride length. I always recommend stretching and using products, such as a deep heat muscle massage roll on lotion, to help ease any muscle tightness.

Walking Myths

You Must Walk 20k Steps A Day

Now, this is a great way to keep fit but isn’t appropriate for everyone, ‘ advises William. “Those just starting their exercise journey might struggle to complete this task and feel defeated if they don’t achieve it. It might be better to start with shorter distances that elevate your heart rate.

Research from The American Heart Association (AHA) shows breaking up 30 minutes of brisk walking into 1 0-to-15-minute instalments can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Walking isn’t effective for weight loss

“This depends largely on the duration and intensity, of your walking habits. Mixing up your routine by walking at varying speeds, and perhaps with an incline, can burn approximately 20 percent more calories than walking at a set pace.

Small increases in walking won’t benefit my health

This isn’t true, any increase in your current walking will benefit your health. Walking an additional 2,000 steps per day — even if your current step count is minimal it helps lower your body mass index and boost insulin sensitivity, which allows the body to use blood glucose more effectively.

Walking Is Bad For Your Joints

Often those with arthritis might be advised to do non-weight-bearing exercises to reduce the load on their joints,” says Jen, “But in fact, bone and cartilage health are maintained through loading, so walking can be an effective strategy in aiding joint health.