1. The safest and best form of exercise.
2. Ideal for developing long term cardiovascular fitness and improving respiratory efficiency.
3. The perfect activity for weight loss and burning away fat and unwanted calories.
II Ideal for conditioning the hips, thighs and stomach muscles.
The ideal way to beat the stress – positive approach for a healthy body and mind.
Appropriate for young and old.
Walking is cheap, flexible in time, speed and location to suit any age.
But there are some who are lazy, feel it's a hard work and put forth many excuses:
Exercise! – that sounds like hard work for me.
It seems that many people do think that exercise is too much like hard work. They may even think of it as an X-rated activity – exercise! – Something best to be avoided. This is true for many people who start out on strenuous exercise programs, injure themselves and give it all up, but if you start out with a moderate program like brisk fitness walking and build up gradually, then you will enjoy it and you won't want to give up.
Exercise! – I haven't got the time. I am too busy.
Just v20 to 30 minutes fitness walking three to four times a week will give you all the long-term fitness and cardiovascular benefits that you need, and help you keep slim. Once you start to feel the benefits, and walking becomes a regular habit, you will want to find the time to get out. Try getting up earlier on the morning to walk, walk during lunch times; walk in tour work breaks instead of drinking coffee or smoking; walk in the evening instead of settling down in a chair in front of television.
Exercise! – I need relaxation, not exercise.
Fitness walking is best form of relaxation around. It relieves stress by helping you to get away from telephones and all the noise and distractions of life, and it helps you to take your mind off your problems and rediscover an inner peace. After a session of brisk fitness walking you will feel calm and relaxed and you will want to find time regularly to get out and recapture this feeling. Indeed, studies have shown exercise such as this can lift depression and help you to sleep better.
Exercise – I'd be embarrassed.
We have all seen the ardent jogger pounding his way along the pavements, puffing and panting as though his life depended on it; and we have all seen the new jogger out with a shiny new shell-suit and training shoes – and we have thought 'rather you than me.' So why not try fitness walking? All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and off you go. There is no need to be embarrassed – you are going to be walking a little faster than other people, but you will look and feel better doing it. And, in the stakes of fitness and health, you will be leaving far behind. Remember fitness walking is not a sport – it's an enjoyable exercise.
Exercise! – I'm too old for it.
You are never too old to start exercising. Provided you take into account any diagnosed medical problems and consult with your doctor first, then you can start out on a program of fitness walking and build up gradually to an aerobic conditioning program that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Exercise! – I am too fat. I would rather diet.
You may not realize it, but you will benefit more from a regular program of exercise like fitness walking, together with low-fat high-fiber nutritious diet, than you will from dieting alone. Fitness walking will help you slim and stay slim by burning up the calories. If you burn more calories than you eat, your body will begin to use its own energy stores and fat will start disappear.
Exercise – That sounds boring.
It's not that we don't try to exercise – we do. We just give up too soon because we often forget that there are ways to make exercise fun. Studies show that one out of every two people who start an exercise program drop out within the first six months and half of those quit during the first week. This is where fitness walking scores. Fitness walking is fun. After a short time, you will feel great; have increased energy, improved concentration and heightened sense of well-being.
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