Walk in the fresh air. Why do doctors advise taking more walks and spending time outside?

Summer is a great time to go for walks fresh air. Birds singing, bright sun, aroma of flowers, clear sky– all this relaxes and sets you up for the positive. Moreover, walking not only brings pleasure, but is also good for health and weight loss.

What are the health benefits of walking?

The muscles of the legs and arms work completely differently in the process, and metabolic processes. When moving, food is digested much faster, blood moves more intensely to all organs, the spleen, liver, and pancreas are enriched with oxygen. Moreover, while walking intervertebral discs periodically relax and tense, as a result their blood supply improves. This is a kind of massage. That is, walking is very beneficial for the spine.

Walking is also useful for:
vision;
respiratory organs;
joints;
hearts;
vessels;
moods.

If you move little, your organs become covered with a coating of toxins, their levels decrease and the organs become a little smaller – they atrophy. While walking, waste and toxins leave the body through sweat, which means internal organs they begin to work normally again, the body is cleansed.

Regular walks strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to infections. That is, during the cold season you will get sick less often. In addition, walking at an intense pace saturates the brain cells with oxygen, which helps fight fatigue, headaches and insomnia. And in general, walking normalizes work nervous system, because at this time you can escape from your problems or, conversely, quickly find a solution to the tormenting for a long time problems, enjoy beautiful views, listen to the birds singing. Walking is a kind of meditation. It allows you to escape from the daily hustle and bustle and feel life.

Losing weight with walking

Walking not only improves your health, but also helps. To lose weight, you need to walk every day and walk at least 5 km. There are approximately 1250 steps in one kilometer. If you walk a kilometer, you can burn forty to fifty calories. If you walk 5 km, you can burn at least 200 calories. In a month of daily walking, you can burn about 6000 kcal.

Of course, it all depends on walking speed, age, terrain, weight. The more you weigh, for example, the more calories you burn. If you walk with weights (sticks, for example), the number of calories burned will also increase. But in any case, regular training will slowly but surely improve your appearance. At the same time, it is not necessary to review your menu or count the calories you eat. But if you want to lose weight faster, add walking proper nutrition. The result will surprise you.

For walking, it is better to choose routes through hills and hillocks. This will increase your exercise and calorie loss, hence helping you lose weight. Of course, you need to walk on dirt or short grass, and not on asphalt paths. This will reduce the load on the spine.

How to walk correctly?

You need to walk correctly. Walking slowly will not help you lose weight. But what is considered slow walking? Very slow walking is 60 steps per minute, slow is 80 steps, medium is 110, fast is 130, very fast is more than 140 steps. For weight loss, an average pace will be enough, but if you wish and feel good, you can increase the speed to 130 steps or higher.

For greater effect, you can take special walking poles, in which case the load on the muscles will increase, and not only on the legs. The muscles of your back and arms will become tense. When the number of calories burned increases up to 40%. You can also wave your arms intensively - this will also help get rid of more calories, which means you can lose weight faster. Walking backwards and walking sideways are also very beneficial. You can alternate such loads while walking. This will help speed up the weight loss process.

While walking, your body should be kept straight, your shoulders should be straight, but you should not strain. The state should be calm and relaxed. You also have to try to notice all the nuances around you. It may seem difficult at first, but gradually you will get used to it.

It will probably be difficult to maintain regularity at the beginning of classes. You don't always want to go outside, especially if the weather is not very favorable. But after a while, if you don't give up, you will enjoy walking. You will feel like you are missing something if you don't go for a walk. You will get used to the workouts and love them.

Walking is useful at any time of the year, but in inclement weather it is problematic. Therefore, take advantage of the warm summer days to heal and rejuvenate your body, lose a few kilograms and become calmer. Walk and enjoy nature and movement!

Since childhood, we have heard about how useful it is to be in the fresh air, and now we ourselves say these words to our children, without thinking about what this very “fresh” air is and why it is so useful?

Let's try to figure it out. And first, seven facts about air:

Fact one

Air is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), carbon dioxide(normally 0.3%) and several inert gases.

Humans need oxygen to live. After all, 90% of the energy that is produced in our bodies is produced as a result of the combustion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates obtained from food in oxygen. Without this, there will be no energy - and the body will die. That is why, in the absence of oxygen supply, death occurs. And air is its only source.

At the same time, in indoors(especially in cities) the air consists mostly of carbon dioxide. And if you remember that it accumulates closer to the surface of the earth (floor), it becomes clear: what less height a person, the more he suffers from this, the more dangerous it is for him to be constantly exposed to “stale air.” And children also love to play on the floor - where the concentration of carbon dioxide is highest.

Fact two

Carbon dioxide is harmless in small doses. However, even a three percent concentration in the air causes people significant discomfort, including a feeling of suffocation. A concentration of 5 - 6% can cause fainting and even death. Of course, this happens extremely rarely. However, it is necessary to ventilate rooms as often as possible, especially those in which there are children. This must be done at any time of the year, in any weather. Are you concerned about your children's health? Just take them out of the room you will be ventilating.

Fact three

All people are sensitive to excess levels of carbon dioxide in the air. But especially children under 12 years old. It is on them that he has the greatest impact. strong impact. They are the ones who suffer faster from its increased concentration in the air. Therefore, if you notice that the child is lethargic, absent-minded, and often yawns, try to provide access to fresh air in the room. Perhaps it's all about carbon dioxide.

Fact four

Air has very low thermal conductivity and is able to absorb a large number of moisture. Thanks to this, moving air carries away vapors human body, thereby cooling it. And this is necessary to maintain normal temperature, especially in the heat. You need to understand that air is moving only if there is wind or when a person moves.

Wherein active movements a person, and even more so several or many people in a room, contribute to an increase in breathing rate, and therefore an increase in the volume of exhaled carbon dioxide. In the air exhaled by people, its content can reach 3 - 5%. And this is already an unsafe amount for us (see Fact Three). Therefore, it is best to move actively - play, play sports - outdoors. And children, who are normally much more active than us adults, especially need regular long walks and a constant flow of fresh air.

Fact five

Fresh air has a beneficial effect on the brain and prevents its aging. American scientists have proven this. After a series of studies, it was found that regular walks in the fresh air increase brain volume by about 2%, while neglecting them reduces it by 1.5%. It would seem like minor changes, but they seriously improve or worsen the quality of life.

Interestingly, those who walk at least three times a week for at least 40 minutes have an increase in those areas of the brain that are responsible for memory. Therefore, “walkers” are much less likely to suffer from age-related deterioration memory. At the same time, in order to help your brain develop faster or age more slowly, it is not necessary to move intensely, it is enough regular walks without additional loads. So, if you're not too keen on hanging out with your kids, think about the benefits of being outdoors for both your kids and yourself.

Fact six

Fresh air improves the functioning of several systems in our body. In addition to the brain (see Fact five), it is very necessary for normal operation nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as organs gastrointestinal tract. Walking in the fresh air is beneficial for both children and adults who have problems with overweight. And the point is not only that during walks the child moves much more than at home, and it is not possible to eat something tasty at the first opportunity. But thanks to fresh air, metabolism improves and the circulatory system activates. Moreover, all this happens in soft mode, without excessive loads. In addition, walking strengthens muscles, ligaments, joints and contributes to the formation of correct posture.

Fact seven

Fresh air is for absolutely everyone. Even for those who are sick, doctors recommend ventilating the rooms in which they are located as often as possible. There is no overdose from prolonged exposure to fresh air. Well, perhaps among residents of megacities who suddenly escaped into nature. And they also have “strange” sensations from the fact that there is no usual “gas chamber” around, quickly pass, giving way to good health and the same mood. It is in the fresh air that our strength is restored faster than anywhere else. And neglecting walks is fraught with decline protective forces body, physical weakness and even the appearance of a syndrome chronic fatigue.

As you can see, the notorious “fresh air” is really necessary and useful for us. Especially if you use its influence correctly.

Let's walk properly

You also need to be able to walk. Our children are often so busy during school year that only very young children and kindergarteners take regular walks, for whom walks are an indispensable part of their daily routine. Schoolchildren’s “walks,” alas, most often consist of short runs between home, school, and various classes and sections. And this is very little. Therefore, try to ensure that children spend as much time as possible outdoors at least on weekends. If possible, choose sports sections whose classes are held not indoors, but outdoors.

Although, as has been said, even a sedentary stay in the fresh air is beneficial, it is still better for children to walk as actively as possible. For adults, leisurely walking along the alleys of the park is a wonderful pastime (and even then not for everyone), and for children, decorously following the hand with their mother is usually a martyr's torment, from which they get tired much more than from running, jumping and climbing all over the place. more or less suitable surfaces for this. Parents should be understanding about this arrangement of children and make sure that their children have the opportunity not only to breathe fresh air, but also to move more.

Everyone knows about the benefits of sea, mountain and forest air. But even in big city you can find places where you can breathe easier and the air tastes better. And we’re not just talking about parks and squares. Walk with children in yards fenced off from roads tall buildings, there harmful effects exhaust gases are much less than those of highways.

Walking is also useful immediately after rain, when the dust is nailed to the ground and the air is saturated with ions.

Encourage children to take walks after a heavy meal, before bed, while recovering from illness, etc. In general, from childhood, instill in them the habit of walks, trips to nature, and games in the fresh air. Come up with a common thing that doesn’t allow you to stay inside four walls.

If both you and your children are desperate homebodies, and you can’t cope with the established habit of going out only in cases of emergency, . Loving your pet is sure to get you and your kids off the couch. At first, of course, it won’t be easy, but soon you will definitely get used to it, and three daily walks will become a pleasure.

Improving air quality in the apartment

Even if a child walks a lot, he spends much more time indoors. What to do about it?

Try to choose for your child whenever possible. kindergarten or a school located away from major roads, in green areas.
Ventilate your apartment more often.
Don't forget to regularly vacuum and wet clean the house, even if it seems that the rooms are completely clean.
“Place” indoor plants in the nursery and other rooms.
Wash the ventilation grilles from time to time so that dust accumulation on them does not interfere with air access.
If possible, purchase an air purifier and/or humidifier.

What are air baths and what are they for?

The above-mentioned ability of air to cool the body, doing it as gently as possible, is used in numerous hardening systems. Air baths are beneficial for everyone, even babies, and even more so for older children. And summer - best time to start hardening the children. It is only important to know a few nuances:

If a child is often sick, air baths will help him. Moreover, it is better to start taking them not on the street, but in a well-ventilated area.
The air temperature in the room where air baths are carried out should be 5 - 7 degrees below comfortable (also called thermoneutral).
At a thermoneutral temperature, it is pleasant for a person to be in the room; he does not feel hot, but at the same time there is no desire to get dressed.
Children under eight years old do not need to specially lower the temperature in the room for hardening, since for a child five to seven years old the comfortable temperature is 26 - 27 degrees. Those. Hardening occurs already at twenty to twenty-two degrees. And in most of our apartments this is just normal temperature. However, if a child aged eight years and older is often sick or weakened, you can start taking air baths at room temperature.
How older child, the lower the comfortable temperature for him. For adults it is 23 - 24 degrees. Therefore, for children over eight years old, ordinary room temperature for hardening is no longer suitable.
The air temperature for hardening should be as follows: preschoolers and first-graders - 20 degrees; older children - 19 degrees; adults - 18 degrees and below.
It is necessary to take air baths, gradually increasing the time from several minutes for newborns and 25 - 30 minutes for five to six year olds.
For children school age alone air baths not enough for hardening, necessary the whole complex events. However, there are many benefits from them, so pediatricians advise not to neglect the opportunity to strengthen the child’s body and carry out air baths.

Photo - photobank Lori

Many people spend their workdays under fluorescent lights, in front of the computer, and then go home to spend the evening in front of the TV. Spending too much time indoors is not very beneficial. To improve your health, you need to be in nature. Psychologists and doctors have found many reasons why fresh air is of great importance. You don't have to completely give up gadgets or move away from civilization. All you need to do is take a walk in the park and breathe! Here are the reasons why this is so important.

It may improve your short-term memory

A variety of studies have shown that walking in nature has a positive effect on memory. Students were given memory tests, then they were divided into two groups. One group walked through the park, and the other through the city streets. When the participants returned and repeated the tests, they found that those walking among the trees performed twenty percent better. Those walking along the street did not experience any changes. Similar studies have been conducted with people suffering from depression. If you notice that you have difficulty remembering information, try spending more time in the park - a short walk after work is enough.

Walking reduces stress

Something about being in nature helps reduce the effects of stress in the body. Research shows that spending time in nature reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. In addition, the heart rate also decreases. Therefore, you can get rid of tension through walking. Even a view of nature from a window leads to less stress and greater job satisfaction. Get in touch with nature more to counteract the effects of this negative factor to your health.

Time spent in nature reduces inflammation

Inflammatory processes can lead to a variety of problems, from autoimmune disorders to depression. Time spent in nature will help you cope with these processes. People who spent time in the forest had reduced levels of inflammatory processes. In addition, older people who spend time outdoors note an improvement in their blood pressure. A walk in the park could be the best option treatment without any side effects.

Nature helps you get rid of fatigue

You probably know the feeling when your thoughts are simply confused - this psychological fatigue. You can regain your former mental alertness by spending time in a restorative environment - nature. Studies have shown that a person's psychological strength is restored even when he simply looks at photographs of nature. City landscapes do not have this effect. Nature evokes a feeling of admiration, which immediately increases your energy levels and helps you feel significantly better. This is why walking is effective means from fatigue.

Walking can help fight anxiety and depression

Anxiety, depression and other mental problems can be combated through walking. Their combination with physical activity works especially effectively. Walking in the forest reduces anxiety and improves mood, and can even be used as an addition to treatment depressive disorder. Nature increases self-esteem and improves the patient's condition. If you walk near a pond, positive effect becomes even more obvious. Do you notice a tendency to constant unrest? Try spending more time in nature!

Spending time in nature protects your eyesight

There is quite a lot of information that spending time in nature can have a positive effect on the eyes of children, reducing the risk of developing myopia. Increasing your walking time may be the simplest strategy to reduce the risk of myopia in children and adolescents. Take your child for walks as often as possible to improve his eye health.

Walking helps you focus better

So, it is clear that the natural environment has a restorative effect. Among other things, the ability to perceive information is also restored. After a walk in nature, mindfulness increases noticeably. This effect is so obvious that children with hyperactivity feel better after just twenty minutes in the park. Walking can be a safe and in an accessible way improving the condition of children. The same applies to adults who need to constantly concentrate their attention.

You will be able to express your imagination more after a walk in the park

Imagine a therapy with no side effects, available to everyone, and improving cognitive performance at no cost. There is such a thing - this is time spent in nature. Studies have even shown that people who regularly take walks in the park at lunchtime are more creative in solving problems. If your work requires a constant flow of new ideas and imagination, try walking more often - it will inspire you!

Walking in nature lowers blood pressure

It's not surprising that time spent in nature also leads to lower blood pressure - this is confirmed by numerous studies. The concentration of stress hormones decreases, and the heart rate drops by four percent. Blood pressure drops by two percent.

Spending time in nature may even prevent cancer

Research on this subject is still underway, however, some conclusion can already be drawn: walks in the forest can stimulate the production of anti-cancer components in the body. Increased level such substances remain noticeable for seven days after a relaxing trip to the forest. Research conducted in Japan shows that in regions with big amount forests mortality rate from various types cancer below. There are too many factors influencing this result to make a clear conclusion, but it is a promising area for further research. One way or another, we can say with confidence that nature acts very beneficially.

Forests can strengthen the immune system

The cellular activity associated with the anti-cancer effects of a walk in the woods may also boost your overall immunity—you'll be better able to fight off colds and flu. Scientific evidence suggests that forests have a positive impact on immune system. However, more are required detailed studies, allowing us to obtain a reasonable idea of such an effect.

Time spent in nature reduces the likelihood of premature death

Closeness to nature is very important for city residents. Dutch researchers have found a strong connection between parks and the health of people living nearby. Wide range The disease appears to be less pronounced in people living near a park or forest. Other studies have found a direct link between time spent in nature and general indicators health. Recent studies have found a similar link: people living in green regions have a twelve percent lower mortality rate. The likelihood of death from cancer, lung or kidney disease is reduced.

When the blues and fatigue overcome, walking is an irreplaceable and affordable way to bring yourself to life. Why and how to walk correctly, we will tell you below.

Walks make it possible to combine physical activity(especially if you walk at a brisk pace) with aesthetic pleasure. And the right companion makes walking a time for communication. After working in the office or in production, where there is often no sunlight, a person especially feels the benefit and pleasure of staying outdoors.

Walking is good for weight loss or to save normal weight. A half-hour brisk walk burns as many calories as an hour of exercise at a sports club.

This is especially true for those for whom serious sports loads. For example, if you have heart problems, walking is a good health practice. And for prevention cardiovascular diseases Walking in the fresh air is also beneficial.

The benefits of being outside are invaluable for hypertensive patients and for those who experience hypotensive crises. Slow walking allows you to get oxygen in sufficient quantity and provides sufficient physical activity.

Pregnant women will receive a special the benefits of walking, if there are no contraindications. Walking improves blood circulation and saturates the blood with oxygen, and also helps maintain physical fitness. And the baby in the womb benefits from a mother’s walk. And after childbirth, as the body recovers, you can quickly walk with a stroller.

The benefits of walking for children

Walks for kids useful starting from the first weeks of life. When discharged from the maternity hospital, they usually clarify when the child can go for a walk for about fifteen minutes. In the future, the duration of walks is gradually increased. Many children sleep well in strollers, at least in cool weather. But you need to remember that in severe frosts you should not go outside with your children.

Older children explore the world outside the home with interest, and for schoolchildren walks in the open air- an indispensable way to warm up after sitting at desks and, alas, in front of screens.

Walking in the sun helps produce vitamin D and are the prevention of rickets and other diseases. But children should be especially carefully protected from direct sun rays, and infants - and from strong wind and cold.

How to walk effectively

For a walk, you need to choose, if possible, environmentally friendly places away from roads and industrial zones. It is important that the surroundings are pleasant to the eye, this will help relieve stress. It is advisable to choose a comfortable time of day: avoid the heat of the day in summer, and walk in the middle of the day in winter. This is especially important for children and people with poor health. The duration of walking should be approximately two hours a day. One-time forced marches are not as useful as regular walks.

Clothes and shoes for walking should be comfortable for long walks. They must be suitable for the weather and protect either from the bright sun or from the piercing wind.

Knowing the benefits of a walk in the fresh air, you can gain determination and start walking!

Being healthy is always fashionable. And I especially want to be healthy and look good in the spring, when nature itself awakens and everything around blossoms. To do this, it is important not only to eat right and visit sports training. A simple walk in the fresh air will bring great benefit. It takes at least 15 minutes for the body to become saturated with oxygen. The most optimal walk should last at least two hours.

People get sick various reasons: weather changes and extremes, daily stress, etc. Many people start using medications and do not take into account the fact that diseases can be prevented if you adhere to normal image life. Daily walks are a kind of panacea for spring depression, as they relieve irritation and stress.

If you feel tired, anxious, or tired of everyday worries, then only a good walk will help relieve these feelings. Have you ever met someone who returned home unhappy after a walk in the fresh air? Cause Have a good mood- released as a result of the combustion of stress hormones when a person moves.

A great mood- this is a pledge wellness. In addition, walking in nature can replenish your body negative ions, which are so lacking in enclosed spaces equipped with a variety of household appliances, which entails the appearance physical weakness, chronic fatigue syndrome, decreased body resistance.

Movement, very necessary for the body, charges him with energy, gives strength. As a result, he becomes more resilient, his immune system is strengthened, and therefore he is less susceptible to diseases. Inhaled fresh air saturates cells required quantity oxygen, which cannot be obtained indoors.

Hiking, jogging, cycling and rollerblading will bring much more benefits if you do it not in a room, but in the open air. Constantly staying in a room, even a well-ventilated one, we deprive ourselves of oxygen.

The benefits of walking in the spring fresh air filled with soft sunlight and the smell of young greenery, is that we inhale clean air. Therefore, during such walks, ventilation of the lungs doubles, and high oxygen saturation of the body has a positive effect on blood circulation. This makes it possible to prevent cardiovascular vascular diseases, has a positive effect on the skin, which, with a lack of oxygen, becomes flabby and yellow.

During hiking few calories are burned. However, a leisurely walk can replace jumping rope. When breathing quickens, it intensifies its activity circulatory system, i.e. the body feels the same as when jumping rope at a slow pace.

Active movements bring more benefits than sitting in front of the TV or laptop with sandwiches. In addition, while walking in the fresh air, metabolism improves and toxins are eliminated. An excellent addition to such walks would be to eat foods that boost immunity.

exposure to air has a beneficial effect on both the physical and mental state of a person. Scientists say that they are an excellent tool for intellectual development.

If a person takes forty-minute walks (walking, running) three times a week in the fresh air, brain activity becomes more active. Speed and rhythm don't matter. Even walking slowly improves your thinking. And to those who lead sedentary lifestyle lives are threatened earlier age-related changes in the body, and the thoughts of such people are confused much more often.

For a walk to be beneficial, you need to think about comfortable shoes and clothes (they should not be too warm so as not to sweat, and not too light so as to freeze and catch a cold).

Taking a walk in the fresh air every day can bring great benefits to the body. A feeling of calm and harmony with the outside world brings confidence in own strength. Take a walk outside the city, in nature. Suitable areas are located away from environmentally unfavorable areas. A park, forest, meadow, river bank, lake, sea are the most ideal options.

Be healthy!