National Treasures, Us and the Great Outdoors!
May is National Walking Month and spring gives us the opportunity to admire the natural beauty we have around us whilst taking advantage of the great benefits of walking.
As we walk, we are carrying around our own body weight and with this comes its own benefits:
• Strengthens your heart you will improve your fitness levels increasing your cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness, whilst reducing your risk of a stroke or heart disease
• Eases joint pain walking helps to lubricate the joints and strengthen muscles that support these joints. Furthermore, this low impact exercise can also relieve arthritis pain and stiffness.
• Boosts your energy walking will increase the flow of oxygen through your body and boost your cortisol level, epinephrine, and norepinephrine hormones which will help to lift your energy levels. Just 15 minutes alone will help to increase your energy levels which you could then build up over time. (It is recommended we do 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week)
• Improves your mood Walking will help to improve not only your mood but also your quality of sleep. It has also been known to promote self-esteem, as people who are exercising and are physically active have a reduced risk of experiencing depression. Exercise can also support the management or recovery of depression.
• Burns Calories Walking will ensure you are burning calories which will help to aid weight loss, reduce body fat or maintain weight. The calorie burn will depend on distance, speed of walking and the terrain walking on (uphill will burn more calories).
It is no secret that many of us are now enjoying more walks outside. We encourage you take your daily exercise, or as much as you can, in our great outdoors to breathe in the fresh air of the great British countryside.
