Don’t underestimate the power of a brisk walk. By getting this type of daily cardio and reaching your step goal, you can reduce body fat, improve your cardiovascular fitness, give you an energy boost, improve coordination and balance, reduce tension and stress, and make your immune system stronger, according to: Mayo Clinic. Needless to say, if you want to stay fit and healthy as you get older, the best thing to do is don those sneakers and hit the trails to enjoy these benefits! We’ve put together the top five walking habits that slow down aging that will make you want to walk even more.
Keep reading to learn how you can improve your health by adding daily walks to your routine. Your mind and body will thank you.
One way to increase your step count and calorie burn is to ditch elevators and escalators completely. Instead, opt for the stairs so your body can work harder to get where you need to be.
Another pro tip is parking further away from your destination. Many of my clients who have office jobs and sit more do this to increase their daily steps. Get used to this routine – it really helps!
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If your goal is to increase daily activity, you should include at least two walks in your routine. Getting in at least 30 minutes is the bare minimum, so to optimize your health and slow down aging, you need to do more than that. An easy way to schedule two walks is to take one during lunch/early afternoon and another after dinner.
After all, research shows that a light walk after eating can lower the body’s insulin and blood sugar levels (via WebMD). The study’s lead author and Ph.D. Physical education and sports science student at the University of Limerick, Aidan Buffey, explains: “When standing and walking, there are contractions of your muscles. If you can do physical activity before the glucose peak, usually 60 to 90 minutes [after eating]then you have the advantage of not having a glucose spike.”
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Do you want to make your walks a little more challenging? Then take some light hand weights with you. The extra load you carry with you allows you to work a little harder while walking, burning more calories and absorbing your upper body during the workout.
As a warning, you don’t want to choose weights that are too heavy because they can interfere with your natural gait. Start with 1 to 2 pounds.
If you are a proud dog parent, it is a great habit to take your dog to enjoy the cardio fun. Chances are you’ll be walking even more than you would if you were alone, and you’ll also be helping your dog become more active. What could be better than that?
The last of the slow aging walking habits has to do with alternating a steady pace and more of a “power walking” speed. This will raise your heart rate and increase your calorie burn. You can start with 20 to 45 second intervals of power walking in between your normal walking pace.
Tim Liu, CSCS
Tim Liu, CSCS, is an online fitness and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles Read more about Tim
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