Health benefits of walking

We know it can be especially hard to find time to exercise, but whether you've had an active lifestyle for many years or just want to kick start your fitness goals, walking is the perfect low-impact exercise that can easily fit into a busy schedule.

To get health benefits just 30 minutes a day of brisk walking can increase your cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lungs) fitness, reduce your risk of heart disease, increase your muscle strength and endurance, create a naturally upright posture and improve your spinal health. If it’s too difficult to walk for 30 minutes at one time, do regular small bouts (10 minutes) three times per day.

The great thing about walking is that it is flexible and can fit around your schedule. Here are a few ways to incorporate walking into your daily routine.

• Morning: Starting your day off with a walk is a great way to get your exercise done and dusted early. You might have to go to bed a bit earlier to squeeze in your 30-minute walk, but you'll gain the energy you need to kick-start your day and feel accomplished.

• In transit: Live in walking distance of the supermarket, local shops or never any parking around the places you visit? Then park a little further away from your destination and enjoy a brisk stroll.

• Lunch time: Everyone deserves a break, so commit to not working through lunch, or sitting down the whole time, and go for a midday walk. It’s a great way to clear your head, refresh yourself for the rest of the day and get some fresh air. Since the recent changes to lockdown restrictions why not meet a friend or 5 and head out together to keep each other motivated.

• Afternoon/night: Sometimes it can take a little while to switch off after work. An afternoon 30-minute walk can help you relax in the evening. Use a walk to catch up with family and friends all while feeling the benefits of walking and exercise.

Physical activity built into a daily lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to assist with weight loss and keep weight off once it’s lost. However, if your goal is to lose weight, you will need to do physical activity for longer than 30 minutes each day. But you can still achieve this by starting with smaller bouts of activity throughout the day and increasing these as your fitness improves.

Put simply find what works for you, stick to it, and create the habit of putting your health first.