Is Walking Good Exercise?

“Is walking good exercise?” We get that question a lot here at PVA. In order to answer that question, we’d like to share the following information about blood circulation. Your body has 6 quarts of blood that circulates through your body three times every minute. That works out to about 500 miles an hour. In one day, your blood travels a total of 12,000 miles. Amazingly, that’s four times the distance across the US from coast to coast. So the answer to “Is walking good exercise,” is yes! Walking is easy, free and the benefits for good health are many. Walking also helps your blood make its long daily journey through your body.

Of course, you don’t have to walk anywhere close to 12,000 miles! To help your circulation, physicians recommend walking 30 minutes or two miles a day. That is something that almost everyone can do, or that they can build up to. Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise and the health benefits can be life-changing. All you need is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing and the desire to get your heart rate going.

Here are a few tips to guide your activity:

• Start off with slow, short sessions and build gradually. Use a tracking device to know how far you traveled.
• Watch your posture and walk tall. Good posture allows you to take full breaths and engage your core, buttock and leg muscles for a natural walking stride.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after walking. Water helps you regulate your body temperature and lubricates your joints.
• Incorporate a warm up, cool down and stretches into your routine. This helps reduce sore muscles and lessens your risk of injury.
• Develop a habit by walking at least 5 days a week. Cardiovascular exercise like walking burns calories, can boost your mood and decrease stress.

When you find yourself asking yourself, “Is walking good exercise?” Remember: your body works hard for the blood to carry oxygen and other important nutrients, proteins and chemicals to different places in your body, so give it a little help with a new walking routine. Just take it one step at a time. Any exercise that gets your heart rate up will give your more energy, help improve your circulation, reduce your risk of illness and disease and help you look and feel good.