Ok, so for anyone that knows me at all knows I am obsessed with The Biggest Loser. It can always get me motivated and is such an eye opener of what I DON'T want to become. Realistically do I think I will be 300 pounds one day? No. But, does that mean I still shouldn't choose healthy alternatives? Since this latest season has aired I have been sending emails to a few people for my 'healthy tip of the day." For those of you who don't get my emails, I will now be posting it to my blog. This has nothing to do with the number on the scale either. It's about being able to have the energy to do the things you want to do and feeling good about yourself.So, for my first 'healthy tip"........"The main benefits of daily walking which include excellent benefits for the lungs, blood, muscles, heart, bones and joints, brain, cardio system, immune system and just about every other part of the body. These benefits have been well researched and are known to occur with any type of daily walking regimen.
Lack of physical activity is known to be a big problem with cardiovascular disease. Your overall risk of heart disease is increased greatly if you maintain a sedentary lifestyle. A simple 2 mile a day walk can decrease this risk by up to 40%.
As you are walking much in the same way as if you are running you are building your heart muscle and the stronger muscle will be able to pump more blood quicker and with less beats. The end result is you have a heart muscle that is stronger, working more efficiently, and for a longer period of time.
As women get older: over the age of 40 - bone loss and osteoporosis can become a problem. Any type of weight bearing exercise where you're putting your body weight to use an exercise can help in this loss of bone density that happens naturally for anyone of this age. You can combine walking with any type of strength training to help maintain overall bone density. This type of low-impact activity is excellent for reducing your risk of injuries by almost 10 times comparing walking to running and you are getting all of the same aerobic and health benefits with walking that you do with running. Along with walking you should combine a diet full of calcium and healthy greens to help boost and build up the bones.
- Control and Manage Diabetes
Diabetes can be hard to manage and maintain. If you can maintain a physical activity schedule you are much more likely to control and possibly even to reverse diabetes. To help control your blood sugar, manage your energy requirements for working out and exercising regularly, walking every day can help you by allowing your muscles to regulate your metabolism and help you control your diet and your diabetes.
Take control of your own weight gain and lose weight by following a healthy diet and get moving more than others by walking every day. A regular walking schedule can help to permanently change your metabolic function and may help you maintain a healthy weight once and for all.
Regular exercise is also been shown to reduce cancer risk and to even be protective against many types of cancer. Those who walked at least 2 miles a day were shown to have a 60% reduction in dying from cancer compared to those who only walked 1 mile a day. Your immune function and your entire body's natural defense systems may be boosted considerably with normal moderate exercise.
You can reduce your stress and prove your overall mood increase your self-confidence and find a new well for empowerment with regular exercise such as walking. He may be able to lose weight or even maintain a healthy weight like continuing a walking regimen. Fitness walking, hiking, or walking in general can give you at increased sense of empowerment and control.
To summarize the six major benefits of maintaining a daily walking regimen include better health for your heart and circulatory system, building better bone mass and possibly preventing osteoporosis, managing maintaining and regulating and controlling diabetes, keeping your weight under control or balanced, lowering your risk of cancer or of dying from cancer, or improving your overall emotional well-being. Those sound like six really big benefits. Start a daily walking regimen today and see where it leads you."
