Walking Instead of Running: These Are Its Main Benefits
Walking is a little-known athletic discipline. Here's what happens if you do it instead of running.
Walking is perhaps one of the least-known Olympic disciplines. You may have seen it on television, when the whole family gathers around the small screen to enjoy the Olympic Games. While at first glance it may seem that the physical effort is not comparable to that of an experienced runner, the truth is that we could be very wrong.
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| Try walking, and you will notice physical and mental benefits. |
It is indeed easier than running, which is why it is recommended for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. First, you should start by walking long distances, trying to control fatigue and hydrating properly during the journey. Then, once your body has become accustomed to movement, you can move on to walking.
This involves walking with long, steady steps, trying to maintain a fast and consistent pace without stopping. A good way to get started with this practice is to walk from your home to a place 25 or 30 minutes away. You can stop for a short rest once you reach it and then start walking back home the same way, taking long, quick steps, concentrating on not slowing down.
In the long term, you will not only greatly reduce your travel time, but you will also tone part of your lower body, especially your calves. After the walk, it is recommended to enjoy a cold shower to relax your muscles and practice stretching, with special emphasis on your calves. During the walk, you can carry a fanny pack around your waist to hold a small water bottle and even a banana to snack on during your short break.
Joints
One of the main benefits of walking is the minimal impact on your joints, since your feet are in contact with the ground at all times. However, precisely for this reason, it is also highly advisable to choose relatively flat terrain, without uneven ground or obstacles. Avoiding an obstacle can cause us to lose our rhythm and also our concentration.
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| Walking has very little impact on the joints, making it a recommended activity for sedentary people. |
Walking allows us to reach an average speed of five kilometers per hour. This way, journeys that at a normal pace would have taken us twenty-five minutes can be reduced to fifteen minutes or even less depending on the slopes of the path or the obstacles.
Categories: Exercise