The Miracle of Walking: Benefits and How-To

I will explain the effects and methods of miraculous walking exercise. Walking is the safest aerobic exercise among numerous exercises that can be done without any special equipment or economic investment, and it is an exercise that anyone can easily do. I will explain why walking exercise is necessary, what are the effects of the exercise, and how and how to walk.

Necessity

Many people think that walking exercise must be done until they are out of breath to be effective, but walking itself is very helpful for health. Walking is a perfect exercise with no burden on the knees and no side effects compared to running. And doing it for 30 minutes 5 times a week is a prerequisite for health. The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends about 30 minutes of exercise every day, saying that walking can free people from various adult diseases.

Effect

Walking exercise is a representative aerobic exercise preferred by many people. Along with running, walking exercise is a representative aerobic exercise that promotes blood circulation, smoothly supplying oxygen and blood to the extremities of the body, and as a result, improves blood circulation, relieves pain and stiffness, strengthens the heart and blood vessels, and increases the number of red blood cells, leading to a healthier body.
 
In addition, walking exercise uses bones and muscles all over the body evenly, increasing bone density, and it also has the effect of creating a toned body by increasing muscle usage, which is only up to 30% in daily life, to 80%. Walking is more effective than running in burning body fat, which is the cause of obesity. In fact, when looking at the consumption of fat and carbohydrates, walking is 50 to 50, while running is 33 to 67. You can see that fat burning is much more in walking than in running.
 
This is also because the higher the intensity of exercise, the closer it is to anaerobic exercise, and the higher the carbohydrate consumption. And along with the exercise effect, safety is something to consider when exercising. The load that the feet receive when walking and running is more than twice as impactful when running.
 
This is because one foot touches the ground when walking, but both feet are in the air when running, and the higher the load, the more strain it puts on the joints. Therefore, this is the reason why walking exercise, which is safer and has a greater exercise effect, is recommended over running.

Walking Exercise Method

So how should we do walking exercise? To live a healthy long life, it is important to walk with the correct posture. Walking brings health to our bodies in many ways, but if you walk incorrectly, the efficiency of the exercise decreases and the possibility of injury increases. The conditions for walking exercise suggested by experts are as follows.

1. Straighten your chest and keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle against your sides.

If you flap your arms or walk with excessively wide strides, it can cause shin pain, etc., and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. First, bend your arms at a 90-degree angle and keep your elbows close to your sides so that your arms don't flap. Also, imagine that there is a pillar in front of you, straighten your chest, and walk with an appropriate stride.
 
Walking with a large stride is very helpful in strengthening the thigh and calf muscles, but walking with too large a stride expands the heel muscles, reducing the forward thrust. It is good to maintain a stride that is about 40% of your height. As you age, your joints and muscles weaken, and your stride shortens.

2. Gradually increase walking speed.

During the first 5 minutes of starting walking exercise, you should walk slowly like a stroll and gradually increase the speed. You need to increase the blood flow to your leg muscles and gradually get into a state where you can exercise to prevent injuries. Once your legs are warmed up, you start your walking exercise in earnest.
 
The walking speed is good to be fast, as if you are about to be late for an appointment. In simple terms, walk breathlessly, but to the extent that you can have a simple conversation with a person next to you. Power walking, which involves walking fast, is 1.5 times more effective in blood circulation than regular walking, and it is also very effective in strength training because it uses the whole body vigorously, and it also improves cardiopulmonary function.
 
For the final 5 to 10 minutes, you should walk slowly again, as if strolling. If you stop suddenly after walking fast, the blood that has accumulated in your leg muscles can pool there, causing dizziness. Walking exercise is beneficial for your health in many ways. If you meditate while walking, you can achieve peace of mind and take care of your mental health.

3. Keep your neck and spine straight.

Some people walk with their heads down and a hunched posture, which puts a lot of strain on their back and waist and disrupts the body's balance. It's good to keep your neck and spine straight or even lean your neck and waist back to create an S-shape. Relax your shoulders and give them a firm hold.

4. Wear shoes that weigh 1% of your body weight.

Walking is an exercise that can be done without any special equipment. However, shoes are something that must be considered for exercise effect and safety. The lighter the shoes, the better.

5. Drink water at 15-minute intervals.

Some people think that drinking water during exercise is harmful, but you must replenish the water lost through exercise to prevent dehydration. The water intake method recommended by experts is to drink one cup 2 hours before exercise, one cup 15 minutes before exercise, and drink water at 15-minute intervals during exercise.

In Closing

Walking exercise is the easiest exercise for anyone, but to increase the effectiveness of the exercise, you need to walk for a certain period of time at an appropriate speed, rather than just walking blindly.
 
The appropriate amount of exercise is usually the amount of exercise that consumes 300 kcal per day for adult men, which is about 80 minutes of walking at a normal pace, or 30 minutes of power walking with a wider stride and faster pace. It is said that the time it takes to turn an action into a habit is 100 days. I hope you will make walking exercise a part of your life and enjoy a healthy life.