The confinement mobility restrictions drove the resurgence stronger than ever from the ride. Simple, cheap and effective, it has become the favorite physical activity of many people who want to keep fit outdoors, but what are its real benefits? What should we do to get the most out of a walk?

Here are some clues ...

SCORED AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?

Of course. In fact, it is one of the alternatives proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to meet that minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise that must be completed by adults (aged between 18 and 64). to maintain healthy lifestyle habits.

Walking, like climbing stairs or doing housework, is part of that daily movement (which many also avoid) that activates NEAT (Not Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), that is, the burning of calories that our body produces by carrying out all daily activities.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT PROVIDE?

The WHO makes this very clear. We must forget about the car and recover something as natural as walking in order to improve cardiorespiratory, muscle and bone health functions . Also to reduce the risk of suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as myocardial infarction, stroke, cancer, diabetes and COPD, together they cause about 70% of deaths in the world.

Movement is also key to combat depression, boost self-esteem and be happier .

IS WALKING ENOUGH?

It is a great ally but we must also do, according to the WHO, two strength sessions a week (at least). Thus, we will be able to maintain the muscles with the necessary volume so that they fulfill the functions of natural support (of bones and viscera) and of 'metabolic oven' (the more muscular power, the greater the burning of calories even at rest).

Mobility and flexibility would complete the portrait of a well 'oiled' anatomy.

HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WALK A DAY?

The 20 minutes a day - divided into two 10-minute sessions if we are not capable of more - recommended by the WHO are a good start but they remain a little scarce. To get more benefits from our walk, the ideal would be to get up to half an hour or, better yet, on the hour . In any case, the important thing is to get up from the sofa and move.

WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND TO TAKE 10,000 STEPS?

Or, what is the same, about 8 km (although everything depends on the length of the stride). That was the recommendation that Dr. Hatano made in the 1960s . Alarmed at the growing obesity problem, the Japanese doctor observed that people barely managed to take 5,000 steps a day and concluded that doubling that amount would also double the caloric expenditure.

Over the years, those 10,000 steps have become the daily challenge for millions of people around the world who base their fitness on walking.

Lose Weight?

Walking helps us stay at our ideal weight . If our goal is to lose weight, we have no choice but to put more cane in each session, complementing them with strength routines, and, above all, taking care of our diet.

Exercising is not a safe-conduct to put us up at the table later. The extra kilos do not go away if you do not eat in a clean and balanced way, avoiding processed products, bad fats and sugars.

WHAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE: MORE TIME / SOFTNESS OR LESS TIME / MORE INTENSITY?

Although all movement adds up, it is more interesting to walk at a higher speed for less time -increasing our heart rate- than to do it slower for a longer period of time. Ten minutes can be much more effective if the procession step is spent well than an hour while looking at shop windows. In either case, both options are beneficial.

HOW CAN WE BOOST THE BENEFITS?

There are many, but the easiest to put into practice is to play with the course and the intensity . In other words, choose routes with slopes that require more effort and make us work our buttocks and quads (without forgetting to activate the core). And enter intervals in which we alternate higher speed peaks with slower phases that allow us to catch our breath.

In this way, we will be able to raise our pulsations to the calorie burning area . A good resource, as long as our joints do not allow them, are the CaCos, a successful combination of walking and running that can also help us get started in the world of running.

WHAT 'PLUS' DOES THE NORTHERN MARCH PROVIDE US?

Walking with Nordic poles will help us set the pace and improve our posture. Eminently aerobic discipline, which increases the pulsations, improving cardiovascular resistance and promoting calorie burning, the use of poles, in addition, allows to perform, at the same time, a very effective strength work .

With a single activity we will mobilize 90% of the muscles of the body (it is estimated that in sports as complete as swimming it reaches 65%), activating especially the upper body (shoulders, arms and 'core').

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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