Put on Your Walking Shoes | Benefits of Walking Daily

Walking daily has so many benefits! I have been walking daily for quite awhile now, I think it has been three years, maybe even four years now.  I will tell you it has not always been easy.  When I first started a friend had to come to my house and walk with me or I wouldn’t go on my walk. I often would make excuses and try to cancel, I would say "it’s too hot" or "it’s too cold" or "I’m too busy I don’t have time to go on a walk". I am so grateful she would just show up, even when I would text her and say "hey I don't think I can walk today."  Sometimes it would be sprinkling out and she would show up with two umbrellas and say come on, we can still get a walk in.  

We walk two miles and it takes us about 35-40 minutes, we walk together in the morning and then I walk again in the afternoon.  I try about three days a week to go for a third walk, especially when I can get my husband to go with me, I love to when we get to walk together.  

Walking daily has now become one of my favorite daily habits, I need my daily walks. I see the benefits in my body and mind. Walking helps clear my mind, sometimes is the only time in the day that forces me not to be multi-tasking.  I cannot walk and text, or walk and be on my phone.  So when I walk I listen to a podcast, or talk with my friend, or walk and pray and it really is just a great time of refreshing.  When I have missed a day in walking my muscles feel tight and I feel tense.

If you have been meaning to exercise or miss going to the gym I encourage you grab a bottle of water and go for a walk today, you’ll thank yourself.  Just get started, walk to the mailbox, go for a twenty minute walk, walk with a friend.  Hey it is a brand new month, go daily or to start pick three days this week you will commit to walking.

I wanted to share, as I mentioned above walking daily has not always been easy, I remember when I first started how out of breath I was.  I remember how sore I would feel if we went a different way that had a little more bit of an incline.  I also wanted to share in 2019 I had hurt my back and had three bulging discs.  I could barely walk I walked super slow, what normally took us 40 minutes would take well over an hour.  During that year my walking buddy also had knee surgery, on some of those walks she had a walker and we looked in really bad shape.  People would actually ask us "are you okay?" Yet we still walked!  There was a part of our walk with a slight decline and we would literally slow down and almost brace for impact.  It was bad and yet we still walked.  I say that because I know when you are first getting started it can be an uphill battle, it can feel impossible.  

I've lost well over 50 pounds since then, walking is easier. Yet it took time, I did not lose the weight overnight.  I also changed my eating habits during this time.  I will say walking also helped me stick with my eating habits, they both go hand in hand.  When you make choices to be mindful of your health, in drinking more water, and taking more steps, it will inspire you to eat healthier.  

A couple of things I have found helpful, take a bottle water with you, staying hydrated is important.  

Stretch before you walk and find comfortable walking shoes with great padding.  You may think that walking is easy, and think you don't need to stretch, that is not so.  Why are good shoes important, you body still feels the impact of walking on pavement especially if you are going to walk daily.  I see since walking daily, I go through shoes much quicker.  

Another tool that is worth the investment is a step tracking bracelet.  I really enjoy having my Fitbit tracker, this especially was a great motivator in the early days of walking.  I love that it vibrates when you are inactive for a period of time.  This helps me be mindful of how sedentary we can be.  I also love seeing how many additional steps I can take from the previous day.  Make it your goal to take 10,000+ steps a day and then go from there.  When I take my two walks I easily hit 10,000 steps.  

Here are just a few of the benefits of walking:

• Improves sleep.
• Reduces stress.
• Reduces depression and improves mood.
• Increases your lifespan.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Easy on your joints. Walking is a low impact exercise.  
• Improves circulation, lowers blood pressure.
• Improved digestion, keeps things moving in your GI system.

After reading all these benefits from simply walking, how can you not reach for your shoes and head out the door!  Enjoy your walk!  Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.  BlogAboutItAll.com