How walking can improve your health in later life
We are often told that we need to exercise more and in particular walk more. There are many apps and watches that track to see whether you have walked 10,000 steps a day – incidentally this is a slightly random choice and any amount of walking is positive for your health. Whilst everyone, no matter what their age should spend more time walking it is a great exercise for those who are nearing retirement and who have perhaps recently moved into Wiltshire Park Homes as it is not only wonderful exercise for your body but it is also good for a healthy mindset.
For some people moving into retirement can be a difficult adjustment and some people find that they lose their identity for a while when they no longer have a regular place to work to visit and when they are no longer defined by their work successes and failures. Equally it can be an incredibly exciting time when you have more free time available to you to be able to complete all the activities that you love and enjoy some hobbies that have perhaps taken a back seat whilst you are building your career and bringing up your family.
Walking is a good way to build some exercise for your week and even your daily routine. Just a simple walk to the shops or around the local park each day for 15 minutes will have incredibly positive effects on your health. Here are a few of the ways in which walking can improve your overall health and wellbeing.
- Weight – walking can help you gradually lose weight, especially if you walk at a brisk pace.
- Cancer risks – walking has been identified as one of the ways in which you can help to reduce your risks of developing certain types of cancer.
- Diabetes – Type 2 diabetes is often caused by obesity which can, as mentioned above be combated by walking. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help to reduce your risks of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Strength – walking helps to strengthen your muscles and bones which can help with your overall mobility. It also has a strengthening effect on your respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
- Mental health – walking as a form of exercise helps to release feel good chemicals into your bloodstream which can help to increase your positive mood. Being in the outdoors environment in the fresh air and surrounded by nature can also have a calming effect on your nervous system which then helps to reduce anxiety and stress levels and helps to return your mood to a more stable level.
When starting out on your walking regime it is important to ensure that you have some good strong walking shoes and pick a route that you know well and isn’t too strenuous. After bringing walking into your days and weeks for a little while you can then start to pick up the pace of your walking as well as having longer periods of time hiking and looking for harder terrain and routes to enjoy.