With the COVID-19 pandemic on the loose for about a year now, many people have lost track of the things they kept up with quite efficiently. Working out, exercising, and maintaining fitness is one such matter that many people have pushed over their shoulder just because gyms were closed, and open spaces were less available.
However, that is not right, and we all know it. So, here we are trying to boost up your motivation to help you get serious about your fitness all over again. Moving into the ‘exercise mode’ is most easy when it is started with walking.
According to us, walking is a quite under-rated form of activity, the importance of which really needs to be highlighted more often. So, read on and learn about the things that you must know about walking for fitness:
All you need is space:
The most common excuse that you might hear from people for ignoring their fitness is that they should remain indoors during this lockdown. And honestly, we have all said that during these times. But that is a mere excuse and some space is all that you need for walking and it is available at the homes of most of us. To make it easy for you, the backyard, the staircase, and even the distance from one room to another is sufficient. Install an application to track your steps and start walking people!
The number of steps is important:
If you are planning for losing weight, you need to make some goals. For this purpose, you can consult your trainer over a phone call or, otherwise, you can take help from one of the several work-out apps available. If you are a beginner go easy on yourself for a few days until your body becomes accustomed. You can start with at least 6000 steps per day. However, experts suggest that at least 10,000 steps should be present on your to-do-list every day if you are aiming for weight loss. Also, another important point to know is that these steps should be covered in brisk-walking and not just random strolling. This is because the latter will aid you little in burning fat.
Make a habit:
Thinking about achieving a goal is never sufficient. You must have heard that failing to plan means planning to fail. This quote certainly applies here as well. If you tell yourself that you will start walking from tomorrow, believe me, you will never do it. So here is what we will advise you to do. Make sure there is a specific time on your schedule when you have to do brisk walking as a workout. After this make it a habit. Do it daily and do it consistently. Remain true to your goal of losing weight and always remember, not hard work but consistency is the key to success.
How you can keep yourself on track?
Sometimes completing your daily steps might seem a bit too difficult. We have got you covered for situations like these with some excellent tips. One way to stick to your plan is to make a playlist of your favorite songs that will prevent you from getting bored. Another great way is to plan this activity with a friend. Since there is a lockdown, connect on whatever social media app you use and discuss your plans, motivate, and challenge each other. This can do wonders for both of you.
All the good walking has to offer:
Walking came to be known as a form of exercise in the early 1990s. Since then a great amount of research has been conducted on its positive outcomes. It has proved to be beneficial for improving the overall health status of people, especially those who are over-weight. It mitigates the risk of chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. Also, since it is a wonderful pastime activity, it helps reduce anxiety, stress, and depression as well. Lockdown has been a really stressful time for certain people and certain studies have associated stress directly with obesity. Therefore, walking can help improve not only the physical but also the mental health problems being faced by many.
Remember: “A sound mind is in a sound body”. So, what are you waiting for? Make a plan and start walking from today…
