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Walking: The Foundation of a Healthier You

Walking is an accessible and effective form of exercise, lauded for its numerous health benefits.
It’s a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, and while the 10,000 step goal is a popular target, it’s essential to understand its origins and limitations.

Morningpicker spoke to Dr. Elroy Aguiar, a walking expert and professor at the University of Alabama, who emphasizes the importance of walking as a starting point.

“Walking is the best form of exercise you can do because it’s easily accessible; there are low barriers to entry in terms of things like cost, equipment, and skill requirements,” Dr. Aguiar says.

The benefits of walking extend beyond physical fitness, contributing to improved cardiovascular health, weight management, reduced risk of chronic diseases, and enhanced mental well-being. However, as Dr. Aguiar highlights, walking should be viewed as a foundation, a stepping stone to more diverse and challenging forms of exercise.

“Walking 10,000 steps a day is a good starting point, but ideally, we want people to progress and start to engage in exercise beyond just walking, such as moving on to other forms of moderate-vigorous exercise that elevate your heart rate and oxygen consumption as well,” he advises.

Building a sustainable walking habit involves incorporating enjoyable elements, finding walking buddies, exploring new routes, and gradually increasing distance and intensity over time.

Strength Training: Building a Stronger You

Strength training plays a crucial role in overall fitness, offering a myriad of benefits beyond muscle growth. It’s essential for building strong bones, ligaments, and joints, reducing the risk of injuries, and improving body composition, leading to a leaner physique.

Dr. Aguiar emphasizes the importance of strength training for both physical and mental health. “Strength training can also improve mobility and even pump up your heart health. Millions, myself included, swear by its ability to boost your mood too. It’s no wonder the NHS activity guidelines say adults should aim to ‘do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days of the week,’ alongside 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (ie. walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity,” he says.

Strength training doesn’t necessarily require a gym membership or expensive equipment. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges can effectively target major muscle groups.
Alternatively, incorporating a few dumbbells, resistance bands, or a single kettlebell into your routine can further enhance your workouts.

Rucking: Taking Your Walking to the Next Level

Rucking, the practice of walking with weights, is gaining popularity as a more challenging and effective form of exercise. It involves wearing a weighted backpack while walking, increasing the intensity and calorie burn of your workouts.

Rucking offers several benefits, including increased calorie expenditure, enhanced strength and endurance, improved posture, and a greater sense of accomplishment. It’s a versatile activity that can be adapted to different fitness levels and goals, whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey.

Morningpicker experimented with rucking and found it to be a highly effective way to elevate walking workouts. Dr. Aguiar also recognizes the benefits of rucking, stating, “The body adapts to the challenge, leading to improvements in strength, endurance, and overall fitness.”

Ditching the Step Counter: Tracking Your Progress in a Holistic Way

While step counters can be a useful tool for monitoring activity levels, it’s important to remember that they don’t provide a complete picture of your overall fitness. Focusing solely on steps can lead to neglecting other important factors such as intensity, duration, and overall movement patterns.

Dr. Gordon suggests incorporating heart rate monitors to better gauge the intensity of your workouts. “It does not take into account intensity of activity and is not effective for forms of non-weight-bearing activity (i.e. cycling),” he explains. “I recommend also using a heart rate monitor to help you gauge exercise intensity.”

Morningpicker advises considering alternative fitness trackers and metrics that go beyond step counts, such as distance, calories burned, active minutes, and sleep quality. Listen to your body and prioritize overall well-being rather than fixating on a specific number of steps.

Remember, fitness is a multifaceted journey, and a holistic approach considers various factors beyond step counts.

Making Exercise a Lifestyle: Beyond the Numbers

Transforming exercise into a sustainable habit requires a shift in mindset, focusing on enjoyment, variety, and consistency. Morningpicker encourages readers to find activities they genuinely enjoy, exploring different types of exercise to keep workouts engaging and prevent boredom.

Building a sustainable routine involves making exercise a part of your daily life, scheduling it like any other important appointment, and finding ways to incorporate movement into your everyday activities. Celebrate your progress, focusing on how exercise makes you feel rather than solely on numerical achievements.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to improve your overall health and well-being, not to chase arbitrary targets.