Most people lead sedentary lives, which has increased even more with the increase in smart working due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This change in habits determines that during the course of the day you walk very little, with considerable negative consequences on your health.
it is the simplest aerobic physical activity to perform. Often underestimated because it is not considered on a par with others, it is very important to keep body and spirit healthy.
According to the World Health Organization, about ten thousand steps a day should be taken to feel good. Translated into the distance they travel about seven kilometers and even if it may seem like a lot, in reality to reach that goal, or at least reach a satisfactory level of daily movement. , it would be enough to walk about 30 minutes every day. The ideal would be to do it at a medium to brisk pace.
Benefits of walking
The benefits of walking regularly are different.
First of all, walking helps to reduce the "bad" cholesterol level and to raise the "good" one. It also helps to lower blood pressure, improve the cardio-circulatory and respiratory systems and control the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Not to mention that walking at a steady pace is also a great way to burn calories and lose weight. A 60-minute walk at four kilometers per hour, for example, burns between 100 and 200 calories.
Joint mobility also benefits, as does body flexibility.
But the benefits of walking aren't just about the body. Among the positive effects of aerobic activity, in fact, there is also that of improving mood, thanks to the production of endorphins and balancing the stress hormones produced throughout the day, reducing them considerably.
To intensify the walk you can switch to Interval Walking.
A valid alternative, which increases the benefits of exercise, can also be to walk in water.
.Never walking or doing it much less than usual can therefore lead to serious health problems.
In addition to the more serious and striking effects, there are several side effects, which should not be underestimated.
Loss of stamina
When the daily walking routine is interrupted, one of the first things that can be noticed is the loss of some stamina, especially if walking is not replaced with other forms of exercise.
If your cardiovascular system does not receive the same daily stimulus, you may begin to have greater difficulty in carrying out common activities such as cooking, climbing stairs, or putting away groceries.
To maintain a high level of endurance and a healthy cardiovascular system, the ideal would be to be able to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week.
But walking is not the only way to achieve this goal. There are several options such as aerobics, zumba, swimming, cycling or stationary bikes and much more.
Stiffening of the hips and hip
Walking is a great way to loosen tight hips. But stopping doing this and filling that time with additional hours spent sitting, in the long run, can lead to them stiffening and developing hip pain.
In case your work requires you to stay at your desk all day, adopting a suitable posture can certainly help, but it does not completely cancel the muscle tension caused by sitting for 40 to 50 hours each week.
In general, if one remains in one position for too long, the body does not like it and the mobility of the hip and the looseness of the hips, which gradually decrease, are greatly affected.
If walking is not an option, doing a few hip flexor stretches throughout the day can help relieve some tension and pain.
Back pain
Sitting all day is not the best thing for maintaining proper posture and this can lead to various back health problems and pain. In particular, due to the reduced release of endorphins, the lower part could be affected.
major such as surgery or injury, once you have recovered you should not be in a hurry to immediately start training at the same pace as before. Resuming abruptly or putting too much strain on your body can increase the risk of incurring foot or ankle pain or, in the worst cases, injuries and injuries.As for walking or jogging, therefore, the advice is to allow yourself the right time to recover and gradually increase the distance traveled and the speed with the passage of time. The first day you can start with 10 minutes of walking, and then reach 30, 60 minutes or even more, depending on the goals you want to achieve.
