What is a health walk?
- Health walks are short organised walks, led by trained volunteers from the local community.
- Health walks are perfect for beginners or those who would like to become more active.
Why walk?
Walking has been described as the ideal form of physical activity.
- It can be done by almost anyone, anywhere, at any time.
- It makes you feel good, reduces stress and helps you to relax and sleep better.
- Walking two miles per day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 28%.
- Regular walking can help you to lose weight - up to 14lbs in 3 months, in some cases.
- You use roughly the same number of calories whether you walk or jog the same distance.
Walking at any pace has the following benefits:
- Gives you more energy
- Improves your mood
- Increases confidence and stamina
- Helps to prevent diabetes
- Increases good cholesterol
- Helps to reduce weight
- Reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and some cancers
- improves muscle strength
Walking at a brisk pace also:
- improves the functioning of heart and lungs
- reduces blood pressure
Brisk walking is when you walk fast enough to make you breathe a little faster, feel warmer and have a slightly faster heart beat. But it should always be comfortable and you should still be able to talk!
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