When you think of walking you tend to think of older people wandering through the countryside and going for a post-walk cream tea, but actually walking is a really great activity for us all to get involved in, young and old.
In our age of maximum screen time and information overload, getting out into the countryside for a stroll is exactly what we all need, not just the older generation amongst us.
So to get you motivated for that first walk, here are 8 reasons why younger people should take up walking.
1.Its Cheap
Generally we don’t have that much cash to splash when we are younger. Gym memberships are usually so expensive where as walking is pretty much free. When you take up walking, once you’ve got yourself the necessary walking gear you can basically walk for free.
You can walk for a whole day, or even camp and go for a few nights and you will spend very little in comparisson to other activites.
You can take up walking with friends, there are no group size limits or costs for additional people, just a whole loads of countryside out there waiting to be explored.
2.Its Great Exercise
Another good reason to take up walking is for the exercise element. People tend to think that walking won’t burn many calories or give them a good work out but this just isn’t true.
You’ll burn between 65 and 100 calories per mile depending on your weight and you can walk a mile pretty quickly. Uphill walking will burn lots more calories and will also be great for toning up those legs.
Even a short walk is great for calorie burning, toning and looking after your body.
3.The Fresh Air
Many of us have jobs that don’t allow us to spend much time outside and as the summer months fade away and autumn sets in we feel less like getting outdoors and more like snuggling up on the sofa.
If you take up walking you’ll find that whatever the weather you can still plan a walk, you just have to be more prepared for the elements in the less warm and sunny months.
Walking will get you outside and fill those lungs with fresh air when you wouldn’t normally have braved the great outdoors.
4.Its Good For Your Blood Sugar
When you do moderate exercise (like walking) that makes your heart beat a little faster and makes you breathe harder your muscles are using more glucose which is the sugar in your bloodstream.
If you take up walking regularly this can result in lowering your blood sugar levels and making the insulin in your body work better.
Taking a short walk after eating a meal is also meant to be brillant for levelling out your blood sugar level.
5.Its Good For Your Back
Studies have found that walking for 20-40 minutes at a moderate pace is as effective at reducing chronic back pain as the sorts of strengthening exercises that are often prescribed by physical therapists.
As we get older many people tend to struggle with their backs (and I’m not talking much ‘older’, my back struggles started in my late 20’s) and walking is a gentle exercise that gets us moving and seems to work wonders for our back.
6.Good To Talk
The lovely thing about taking up walking with other people is the large amount of time you spend with them , without the TV blaring away, without being sat at your desk behind a computer and without being on your phone (other than for sat-nav reasons which we’ll excuse). This means that you’ll actually get to talk to people, to have natural, flowing conversations which really helps us to connect as humans. Many a friendship has been forged whilst walking, and not only that, you are experiencing a little journey each time you get out that only you and the people/person you are with have experienced, and that’s a nice feeling too.
7.You Can Practice Meditating
If you lead a hectic life juggling a million different things then some time out is probably just what you need, and did you know that you can practice meditation and mindfulness whilst walking?
If you fully emerse yourself in where you are at that moment, notice the flowers, the ground that you are walking on, the sky, the smells, sounds and sights, then you’ll find your mind has a break from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Sometimes this is all we need to get back on track and re-focus.
Taking up walking has been shown time and time again to be fantastic for our mental health and if you take up walking you too will discover this for yourself.
8.Its Fun
And last but by absolutely no means least…taking up walking is fun! Its actually really fun to trek through the woods, climb a huge hill and soak up the views from the top or go walking to see a waterfall. Your endorphines will be flowing as your body works to keep you going, your eyes, ears and nose will enjoy the fresh and natural environement and you may just find yourself loving your new hobby.
Give it a go.
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