EXERCISE

WHY WALKING IS THE BEST

EXERCISE

By D. B. Virago

YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT REGULAR EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU. THE PROBLEM IS DOING IT CONSISTENTLY. ONLY GOING TO THE GYM ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU DID SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL BECOME MOTIVATED TO DO DAILY, AND THAT, IN TURN, WILL MOTIVATE YOU. HERE ARE SOME REASONS AS TO WHY WALKING IS THE BEST EXERCISE.

 It's Easy and Cheap You don't need a lot of extra time. You don't have to drive to a gym or wait for a class. You don't need a lot of expensive equipment. A good pair of shoes and weather-appropriate clothing is all you need. If you walk indoors, you don't even have to worry about the weather. You'd be surprised at how early your local mall unlocks its doors and how many fellow walkers you will encounter in the early morning. To go for a walk, all you have to do is stand up and go.

 You Already Know How Walking is one of the first things you learned to do as a child and you've been doing it ever since. You don't need to learn how to program a fancy piece of equipment. You don't need to practice how to balance, climb, kick or dance. You already know this. Like the Nike ad said, just do it.

 Walking Doesn't Hurt You've been walking your whole life. Your body is adjusted to it. As long as you don't push yourself too hard, you aren't going to come home with sore muscles after a walk. In fact, starting off with walking shorter distances in the beginning will help to prevent any soreness. You won't pull your back muscles or injure your rotator cuff. Invest in a pair of shoes with good support and cushioning, and you can walk every day, injury-free.  Walking is Healthy in

Other Ways

Besides the physical benefits, walking clears the mind and gives you a chance to focus. It can get your creative juices flowing and has been shown to aid in memory and mental acuity. Walking gets your eyes away from screens and your ears away from phones. If you walk outside, you also get fresh air and vitamin D.

If you've been thinking about starting to exercise, think about walking. You can start right now, and you can do it every day. So, get out there and start walking. ■

It can get your creative juices flowing and has been shown to aid in memory and mental acuity.