The Benefits of Walking

Did You Know May is National Walking Month?

Living Streets is a charity to promote everyday walking, and National Walking Month is an awareness project from Living Streets to promote everyday walking, to raise peoples general health levels, something that as osteopaths we wholeheartedly support. In aid of this, we thought we’d try and inspire you to get out and walk, and to walk better.

Spring time if firmly upon us, the trees are blossoming and new shoots are coming up, so what better time to get out and explore the world around us. Bedfordshire is a great place to explore the traditional English countryside so why no get our out and explore!

Walking in Bedfordshire

Why not checkout the Greensand Country Festival for ideas for walks or organised rambles. Walking Britain has a great list of walks around Bedfordshire to help you get our and about. Colmworth Golf Club – have published a collection of circular walking routes that will get you out and about in no time, some of them are only 2-3 miles long so should be more than possible for most of us!

Health Reasons to Get Walking

Here’s some great reasons to get your boots on, fill the flask with something to drink and make some healthy snacks to fill your backpack!

Walking is beneficial for your heart

Your heart pumps oxygen and blood around the body, keeping your other organs working. Walking strengthens your heart but also reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. Walking every day can reduce risk of stroke and improve your balance of good and cholestral!

You could lose weight

Walking burns calories, the more you walk, the more calories you’ll burn. The faster you walk, the more calories you’ll burn.

Dementia

It has been suggested that walking every day could help prevent dementia, walking just one mile a day could potentially improve your chances of avoiding dementia.

It’s a great workout

Walking can be great way to exercise large parts of your body. Walking involves use of your abdominals, quads, hamstrings, gluten and calves. Get out there and improve your legs, bums and tums!

Sunshine is good for you

If you’re stuck inside all day, you’re losing out on Vitamin D, necessary for your bone and dental health, and improving your immune system. Here’s some helpful NHS advice about Vitamin D, and how to make the most of being in the sunshine…

Walking makes you feel happy, more focussed and energised

If you’re feeling lethargic, then a walk could do you good. Walking will boost your circulation, increasing the oxygen supply around your body, and will keep you feeling alert and awake. Walking can boost your energy levels, and increase your happiness and positivity, it could be as beneficial as taking an antidepressant, helping improve your stress and anxiety levels.

In the same way walking can help you feel energised, it is also great for making you feel happy. A brisk walk can be just as beneficial as taking an antidepressant, and can be a great helping hand if you are suffering from depression, anxiety or feeling stressed.

As you can see there’s a great many reasons why you should walk more. However you do it, whether it’s breaks at work, walking a little longer to work, or getting out and enjoying the countryside, make an effort to walk more of your life!

Some helpful tips on walking correctly

I’m sure you know how to walk, you’ve been doing it all your life! But do you walk well? If your body isn’t balanced, you will be working your muscles harder, and maybe injuring other parts of your body. Here’s some helpful tips to walk better…

• Hold your head high and look forward, not at the ground
• Keep your back straight, and gently tighten your abdominal muscles
• Walk in a straight line with your feet pointing forwards
• Walk heel to toe, ie. on the heel of your foot, roll forward onto the ball of your foot and then raise your heel and push off with your big toe
• If you need to carry a bag, use a rucksack or ‘bum’ bag to ensure your arms are free
• Avoid clenching your hands
• Keep your arms close to your body and bend your elbows to 90 degrees, swinging them in time with the opposite leg
• Avoid leaning when walking up / down hills and relax your knees more on the downhill, to absorb the extra impact (walking poles may be helpful)
• If you are aiming to get fit or lose weight, walk at a pace where you are slightly out of breath but can still talk
• If you wish to walk faster, take more steps per minute, not longer steps

If you would like us to assess your posture, or think you may have spinal issues, we’d be pleased to assess you. Make an appointment with our osteopaths using our online booking form and we’ll help you walk tall again soon…