Walking health & fitness - walking fitness guides from walkideas.com

Getting started walking

Walking can be a great way to improve your fitness, not only is it free, it doesn't require any equipment and you can do it whenever you please. Perhaps the only restriction to your walking habits is the weather!

Tips for walking with diabetes

Diabetics are encouraged to exercise regularly - primarily to try and control their blood sugar levels, but also to encourage general well-being. So if you're diabetic and want to exercise more, or want to get into walking, try our handy tips.

How often should I exercise?

The Government suggests healthy adults should do a minimum of 30 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity, five days per week.These don't necessarily have to all be in one go; you can spread them out if you wish. Walking is perfect for fulfilling this requirement - just walking to the shops counts, though this guideline suggests moderate activity so bear that in mind.

How many calories will I burn?

You will burn almost the same number of calories whether you walk or run for a mile - the major difference is you'll get there faster running. Things change a bit depending on your fitness levels and bodyweight, but this is a good general rule. This doesn't mean we should all give up running; running will place a greater strain on the aerobic system and increase fitness at a greater rate than walking. Walking however, will put less strain on the joints. Both are excellent forms of exercise.

Is walking a good workout?

Although walking isn't considered as strenuous as jogging, it can be almost as challenging. Why? As you walk faster (speeds above 3mph) the length between your strides increases which is more inefficient than a more natural walking stride.

Warm up for walking

Warming up is more commonly associated with higher-impact sports such as running or football, but warming up for walking can help you perform better and lower the risk of injury.

Walking for health

Pregnancy and walking

Pregnancy and walking go hand in hand

Walking can help our overweight youngsters

THE NUMBER of overweight and obese children has soared in recent years, according to a new study.

Walking helps in fight against obesity

MOST ADULTS in England are now overweight and one in five is obese, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report. The NAO puts much of the blame on sedentary lifestyles, and has called for the promotion of physical exercise, including walking.