One of the easiest ways to begin exercising is to do more exercising, especially if you have an injury.
What’s more, walking is a great way to boost your mental health.
According to Harvard Health, there’s a certain amount of time you should aim to walk every day to improve your health.
Walking 21 minutes a day can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease
It’s estimated that walking 21 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 30%.
Meanwhile, according to Harvard Health, a person can burn around 167 calories by doing 30 minutes of moderately paced walking.
In fact, a report by Harvard suggests that walking has been “shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and keep you mentally sharp.”
How walking can help you lose weight
Most experts agree one of the best exercises you can do daily is walking!
Walking is such an easy way for beginners to start exercising without having to splash the cash on a gym membership or equipment.
Plus, it’s low-impact, so even if you have an injury or sore joints, it won’t put too much pressure on your body.
In fact, you can fit it in almost any time of the day!
And the more and faster you walk, the more calories you’ll burn. Something so simple and convenient can really make a HUGE difference.
How to get the most out of your walk
- Walk uphill
- Do it at a faster pace
- Mix in bodyweight exercises
- Walk longer distances
- Wear the right footwear
- Get your arms moving, so they are working out as well
- Walk on different surfaces, like sand
Can you really lose weight walking 10,000 steps a day – and why this number?
Walking the dog helped this mum lose 17kg & tackle mental health issues
Jacoby Hall has lost over 17kg following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
This brave mum-of-one has shared how she took control of her health and, tackled postnatal depression post-traumatic stress disorder, and hit her weight loss goals.
Walking her dog helped this mum lose 17kg
After the birth of her daughter, Jacoby suffered from postnatal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I didn’t know how to handle how I was feeling after the birth of my daughter,” she says.
“What I was eating didn’t help me feel better, although I thought it did. Chocolate was my downfall. If I ever felt down, I’d reach for the sugary sweets. I also yo-yoed with my weight throughout my life.”
“I would lose weight then stack it on six months later.”
She says everything felt like a struggle – even walking the dog felt like so much effort.
But then she saw an ad on Facebook for The Healthy Mummy.
“I looked at the page and started following the stories and seeing the results and how amazingly supportive everyone was,” she says.
“I decided it was something I wanted to try. I felt like I’d hit rock bottom. But I wanted to take it slow. I didn’t want to jump in, as I felt I’d fail.”
So, that’s what Jacoby did at first. She ate the recipes on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge hub, but that was all she did.
“I wasn’t doing any exercises on the app in the beginning. Where I had become so big, I had bad foot spurs and torn ligaments, so I decided to take it slow,” she admits.
“I just walked for 15 minutes with my dog every day. It was all I could do.”
In the first month, Jacoby lost 5kg. She then noticed the weight was slowly falling off, and she found she was finding the strength and energy – as well as a positive mental attitude.
“I drank more water, as I was suffering from major migraines after cutting back on sugar,” she admits.
“I found I was also beginning to enjoy exercising – something I had found a chore before.”
Now, Jacoby says she’s a huge gym junkie – she does boxing classes, trains at 5.30 am every morning and works on her strength at the gym.
“I love to exercise now,” she says. “Before, I was lazy, but now I get up at 5.30 pm and see my personal trainer.”
“My mind and health are SO much more important than having a sleep-in.”
