When it comes to exercise, walking is a great low impact workout that the vast majority of people can do. It needs no special equipment, there are no expensive monthly gym fees to pay and you can work it into your daily schedule whenever it’s good for you. If you look at the potential health benefits of walking you might be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at an advert for some new wonder drug - but they are very real and easily obtainable with no more than a few minor changes to your daily routine.

Most health professionals suggest that a target of 10,000 steps a day is desirable in order to obtain the numerous health benefits available. That equates to a distance of between four and a half and five miles for most of us. It sounds like a long way - but it’s easier to achieve than you might think. Considering the potential health benefits, it’s well worth making a little effort to increase the amount of walking that you do.

Of course, we live in a society which is increasingly sedentary - so it may very well be that you currently miss the recommended 10,000 daily steps (possibly by quite some way). If you’re not sure how many steps you currently take then it might be a good idea to get hold of a pedometer in order to find out what your daily average is. You can pick these up pretty cheaply these days - but be certain to choose one which has a double axis sensor fitted as these tend to be more accurate.

Having established what your daily step count is (take an average over a few days), you should actively look for opportunities to wipe out any gap between that value and the 10,000 step per day target. There are numerous different ways to do this - but be sensible and start slowly - there’s no need to do everything at once.

If you have enough time in your daily routine to fit in a dedicated walk then that’s ideal of course. However, if you can’t manage this, then there are many other ways to increase your daily step count. At lunchtime take a ten or fifteen minute stroll around the block instead of sitting in front of your computer. Get off the bus one or two stops early and finish your journey on foot. Leave your car at home and walk now and again - or, if that’s not possible, then park your car in the far corner of the parking lot so that you have further to walk to the entrance.

Make the most of modern technology by walking and talking when you’re on your mobile phone. A fifteen minute telephone call can give you the opportunity to get in somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 extra steps. There are many other opportunities to get your step count up - and they soon mount up.

If you have any medical conditions, if you haven’t taken regular exercise for a while, or if you’re over forty years old then it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor prior to embarking on any new fitness program. However, walking is a low injury risk, low impact form of exercise which will, as long as you are sensible and build up slowly, provide you with many positive health benefits. You will be feeling better, enjoying increased energy levels and losing weight before you know it - and you won’t need a pedometer or a set of scales to tell you how well you’re doing. You will both feel the results and see them as well.

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Losing a little weight is a target which many people have in common. Unfortunately, weight loss is often associated with almost permanent hunger pangs as you starve yourself on the latest Hollywood diet - or getting out of breath and sweaty down at the gym. Pounding the pavement in the rain and laps of the track are other unappealing options which are often associated with shedding a few pounds. none of these are attractive propositions for the majority of people - and the good news is that none of them are strictly necessary.

There is an alternative method of losing weight, and gaining a whole host of other health benefits into the bargain, which is suitable, and possibly more attractive, to most people. Walking is a low impact, low injury risk workout which is ideal for a wide range of people - at all levels of health and fitness and over a wide range of ages. It is suitable for people recovering from injury or illness and is also a good way to lose weight post pregnancy.

The thing about walking is that it’s a natural activity. You don’t need any special equipment, training or expertise. Anyone can do it - whenever they feel like it and whenever it suits them best. It can be slotted into you daily schedule when it’s most convenient for you. No need to find time for a special trip to the gym - which will save you money on membership fees as well as time.

The secret to getting health benefits and losing weight using walking as an exercise method is consistency. Regular, relatively low level exercise, carried out on a frequent basis is much better than sporadic bursts of high intensity physical activity - and much less likely to produce strains, sprains and other injuries as well. Walking just 30 minutes a day can soon produce results - just as long as it’s done routinely.

If you can build up to 10,000 steps a day on a regular and consistent basis, then you will astonished at just how rapidly you begin to both feel and actually see the benefits. For the average person, 10,000 steps equates to a distance of roughly 5 miles. It sounds like a long way - but it’s a lot easier to achieve than you think.

One of the great things about walking is the fact that you don’t need any special equipment. However, whilst it’s not strictly necessary, you might find that getting hold of a pedometer is a good idea. You can find these staring at less than $10 these days. These can help you to monitor your progress and will display your performance as number of steps taken, distance covered or calories burned. It might be all you need to keep you motivated and ensure that your walking workout becomes a regular part of your daily routine.

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