Do you have a spring in your step? Does life feel so good that you cannot wait to get out of bed in the morning? With the sedentary lifestyle so many of us lead nowadays, the chances of feeling energetic when you awake in the morning is slim. Hours of sitting at computers, driving to work and then watching TV at home, all lead to being overweight, having posture-related aches and pains and a general feeling of sluggishness. These physical symptoms lead to mental sluggishness too. So we are trapped in this cycle of lethargy, draining us of our vital energy.
In order to lignite that vital spark, we need to break this cycle and the way to do it is…exercise. Exercise should not be an optional extra that we fit into our lives when we feel like it; it needs to be an essential part. Our bodies require ongoing maintenance to perform at anything close to optimal and yet most people wait until their body requires urgent attention before considering an exercise strategy if at all.
Body and spirit are inextricably linked, so to achieve a healthy mind you must firstly have a healthy body. By improving the health of your body through exercise you also gain more confidence and improve self esteem which then leads to even more of a drive to achieve optimal health and fitness.
In order to make exercise an ingredient of our everyday lives, something that we will stick at, it needs to be fun. It needs to be enjoyable, challenging, motivational, have variety, achieve the desired results and suit your body and lifestyle.
One of the most natural forms of exercise is walking. Walking is an aerobic exercise that will not only increase your cardiovascular strength, but improve your posture as well. Whereas any form of walking is beneficial, the most powerful is…Power Walking.
There are numerous benefits to be gained from power walking
and some of them are:
– Cardiovascular fitness is improved and thus the risk of coronary disease and strokes is reduced.
– Mental well-being is improved resulting in a reduction in anxiety, stress and tension.
– Muscles are toned and strengthened.
– Helps to reduce body fat and manage your body weight.
– Boosts energy and improves your self esteem.
The above are just a few of the physical and mental benefits to be gained from power walking. One benefit that deserves special mention and is often overlooked is that if you walk with friends, it is socially enjoyable. This ensures that your power walking exercise is fun and not an activity that has to be endured.
Power walking is a low cost form of exercise. No special clothes or equipment are necessary to be able to participate. However, there is one item that I would strongly recommend and that is a good pair of walking shoes. Each time your foot hits the ground, it is subjected to two and a quarter times your body weight, so the purchase of walking shoes is a wise investment.
So, muster your friends, grab your walking shoes and power walk yourself to new levels of physical and mental well-being.