Benefits of Walking

With Christmas and the singing of Auld Lang Syne over for another year, it is time to start putting into practice those New Year’s resolutions. If you haven’t even started thinking about your New Year’s resolutions yet, then how about adding walking more to the list! In this blog, I will go through the benefits of walking more.
Benefit 1 – Maintains your health
Something like a daily brisk walk can make a big difference to having a healthy life. A regular brisk walk can help you:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes
- Strengthen your bones and muscles
- Improve your mood
- Improve your balance and coordination
The faster, further and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits to your health.
Benefit 2 – Saves money
If you are within walking distance to your work or the shops, then you can stop using the car and save yourself money on petrol and paying for parking. If you use public transport then switching to walking could save you money on buying tickets.
In the summer months in particular, ditching, the car or public transport is a good idea.You get to stretch your legs, which will be good for your health and also help save the pennies.
Benefit 3 – Helps the environment
Reducing your car use and walking to work or to the shops also helps the environment. Walking to your destination means there will be fewer cars will be on the road, less carbon emissions and less pollution in the air. You can reduce your carbon footprint massively by walking to work or the shops instead of driving.
Benefit 4 – It’s a social event
Going out walking doesn’t need to be limited to just getting some exercise, you can make it a social event. From something very small like just going walking with your friends, to larger activities like doing a sponsored walk for charity.
Benefit 5- It can be fun!
You can make walking as fun as you want it to be. If you are going walking for leisure and exercise then you can take different routes on different days to see different things. During the summer months, walking parts of the Fife Coastal Path is very good fun.
You could also take music with you to listen to some of your favourite songs, or listen to your favourite podcasts as you walk.
Look out for weird and wonderful things. Depending on where you go, you might see some wildlife you never thought you would see or see nature at its very best.
Walking can be a great form of exercise with many benefits, if you don’t have a New Year’s resolution already then making walking more one could be very good for you. Happy New Year everyone!
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