Walk your way to BETTER HEALTH

How to walk more without really noticing and gain benefits for both your body and mind

- ALI HORSFALL

Walking is a great way to stay active. Not only is it a fantastic form of exercise to boost your wellbeing, it’s free to do and can be adapted to suit all ages and fitness levels. Whether you’re taking gentle strolls along a flat pavement or challenging yourself with brisk strides up a hillside, every step is beneficial.

‘Walking improves heart health, boosts circulation, maintains leg strength and benefits our bones, so you get an all-round workout,’ says Julie Robinson, exercise instructor and expert in older-years fitness (moveitorloseit.co.uk). ‘Research shows that regular movement helps to prevent or reduce the risk of many conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.’

Everyone should have daily walks to stay healthy, although how far and how fast will vary from person to person. Keen hikers can go for miles but for those not used to exercising, it’s best to start slowly, and gradually build up speed and distance until you hit your stride.

How to step it up

Heard about the 10,000steps-a-day target? This is roughly equivalent to walking five miles and, while some people find this ‘magic number’ doable, for others, it’s too ambitious – especially if health issues or joint problems are a factor. Julie advises that ‘6,0008,500 steps a day may be more suitable for healthy older adults, whereas for those with chronic health conditions or disabilities, 3,500-5,500 would be more achievable.

‘Look at how many steps you can comfortably manage and try to improve on this, little by little, step by step.’