In the past, human beings used their bodies for all their everydar tasks. Mechanical advances in the twentieth century, cars, lifts, computers, etc., made us an increasingly sedentary society. Nowadays, very few people spend around an hour a week doing some kind of physical activity.
The human body is built using jointed levers and a muscular system for a reason. The body needs to move, to exercise, simply because of the way it is constructed. We need to tone our muscular system so it drives and coordinates our skeleton (bones and joints) and we can move ourselves around. Physical exercise strengthens heart muscles as well as chest muscles, wich are vital to ensure that our cardiovascular and respiratory systems work to their full extent.
Walking provides both physical and psychological benefits, Moving the body involves a muscular effort that results in an increase in heartbeat and breathing rate, which also increases our metabolism. If done correctly, walking reduces the level of fats in our bodies, both cholesterol and triglycerides, it helps to keep pressure stable and control diabetes and is extremely good for the cardiovascular system.
It has been proved that physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and many other diseases.
Before starting any physical exercise, you should have a medical check up and be assessed by an expert in body movement to ensure you are capable of doing the activity.
Walking is an excellent way to starting any exercise plan, no matter what age you are. This is an exercise that requires very little in the way of special equipment. Good shoes and comfortable clothes are more than enough.
Many doctors recommend walking to supplement treatments for depression and anxiety because it has been shown that it produces a feeling of wellbeing, it helps you get away from society for a while and so raises your spirits.
The best way to start the physical exercise of walking is to take things slowly, so your body has a chance to get used to the new demands being made on it. The increase in intensity causes the body to adapt and allows you to increase your efforts. The correct thing to do is to increase both walking time and speed gradually as your body becomes more able to tolerate the effort, and you will start to see an improvement in your health and wellbeing.
It is important to adapt exercise to suit each individual's age and particular circumstances. Everyone should know their body's limitations, so that doing any physical exercise, walking included, does not injure or harm their body in any way.
Juan Antonio Andreo Lillo – Physical Activity and Sports Science Graduate
The information published in this media neither substitutes nor complements in any way the direct supervision of a doctor, his diagnosis or the treatment that he may prescribe. It should also not be used for self-diagnosis.
The exclusive responsibility for the use of this service lies with the reader.
ASSSA advises you to always consult your doctor about any issue concerning your health.
