Will walking help with weight loss?

Will walking help with weight loss?

Can walking really help you lose

weight and be more healthy?

There are so many answers to this question and benefits to walking for health so I’m going to share the ones I believe are most important.

Reason One

Walking may be better for your joints!

Despite being able to turn you into a hot and sweaty mess, most walking is actually fairly low impact form of exercise. Unlike running or jogging or other more vigorous sports which require more movement up and down, walking is generally quite low on the ‘bounce’ chart and as a result the chances of you sustaining and injury are low.  

Reason Two

Walking is a mood lifter!

Unless you favour a treadmill indoors, most walking is done in the outdoors, generally in or near nature.

There is lots of research which has proven that being in a natural environment is excellent for your mental health and when you add in a dose of exercise, the combination can really lift your spirits. 

Reason Three

Walking is so flexible!

It would be possible to walk every day for a month and never do the same type of walk. We can increase or decrease the intensity of a walk, we can change the distance, the terrain, add in more hills, and make it faster or slower. There are so many styles of walking and this is what makes walking such a good form of exercise for the mind. You will not get bored if you are changing what you do each week!

Reason Four

Walking is sociable!

Humans are generally social animals and so walking as a group will not only help you connect with others and share the highs and lows of daily life, it will also provide motivation to get your kit on a get out of the house, even if it’s grey and raining. 

Being in the company of like minded ladies helps to create a strong social network, one which can hold you accountable and be your reason for turning up each week to walk. If everyone else can make it out why not you?

Reason Five

Walking is a brilliant form of exercise for the menopause and perimenopause too making it perfect for those of us heading towards that stage of life.

It is a super form of exercise for the pelvic floor and very good for the cardiovascular system.  Walking can also help with weight loss too and combined with a healthy eating plan it can work well.  Walking can also be used as a weight management tool too.  Remember with weight loss in menopause it’s no longer all about what you put into your body and what you put out of your body (Calories in v calories used).

Simply add a daily walking programme to your life and you’ll see a steady change in your body shape and strength.

In this day and age of fast paced living sometimes an activity like walking can bring you back to yourself.  We love a walk to ground ourselves and this helps us not to become overwhelmed by life, although we aren’t saying this does not happen from time to time to me, we are human after all!

In summary …

Walking is a fabulous form of exercise

It takes us away from the stresses of day to day life. Add in some walking friends, old or new, along the way then that is even better!

Walking is a very adaptable form of exercise. It can be a challenge and make you feel  a bit ‘out of puff’ or it can be gentle. Remember the key word here is adaptable.  The most natural form of exercise is to walk for people.

And what we have shown over our 20 or so years of helping women get fit is, that exercising together as a group can create life long friends, or a coffee buddy or two or three or four…

If you like the idea of walking with friends but want a structured approach, a coach who will inspire you to go the extra mile ( literally!) and stop you getting lost, the take a look at our Walking for Fitness course starting soon!

Until then take care and have fun exercising!