How much do you need to walk to lose weight. Different types of walking for weight loss

Table of contents
Almost all modern people know that physical activity is good for health, as it maintains and improves the body's endurance, trains the muscles, heart, lungs and blood vessels, thereby preventing various diseases and maintaining performance and well-being on high level until old age. Moreover, it is absolutely known that movement is an integral part of the life of centenarians, since all people who have lived long enough long life, are said to have constantly and regularly subjected their bodies to physical activity, mostly in the form of simple gardening and housework or walking.

The simplest and most accessible type of physical activity for all people is walking, which is an excellent workout that gives a person the opportunity to live a long and active life. Therefore, we can say that for the sake of life one should walk!

Why walking can lengthen life

Ancient Chinese sages, Taoist practitioners and famous doctors who served the emperor believed that a person lives as long as his vessels and joints live. In other words, the ancient sages believed that the most important thing for prolonging life is to strengthen and maintain in good working order blood vessels and joints.

It is quite possible to agree with the opinion of the imperial doctors of ancient China, since in modern world most people die from cardiovascular diseases, and the pathology of the joints leads to disability and, ultimately, a deterioration in the quality and reduction in life expectancy.

From the foregoing, it follows that in order to prolong life and maintain its quality at an acceptable level, it is necessary to make efforts aimed at preserving normal structure And functional activity blood vessels and joints. A the best way support good working condition vessels and joints exercise, but not all, but only the so-called aerobic exercise.

The fact is that aerobic exercise is aimed at training the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, that is, in fact, to increase the degree of endurance of the body and its resistance to negative factors environment. Indeed, during aerobic exercise, the heart beats more often, blood circulates faster through the vessels, more is delivered to the tissues. nutrients and oxygen, resulting in much fewer blood clots and utilization of cholesterol, which is not attached to vascular walls and do not form the basis of the future atherosclerotic plaque. In addition, due to the intensive movement of blood, the walls of even the smallest, collapsed vessels open up and begin to work, thanks to which they are prevented. atrophic changes and maintain their elasticity.

Similar effects perfectly prevent atherosclerosis and various pathological changes in vessels that are the basis of various chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, etc. In addition, due to the absence of weights, the joints during aerobic exercise work naturally and without undue overload, which trains and strengthens them without the risk of injury. Thanks to this, a person’s joints remain mobile for a long time, giving him the opportunity to make any, even the smallest and most precise movements up to old age. Accordingly, aerobic exercise contributes to maintaining good health and thus extend active life.

Of course, during aerobic training, the muscles of the body also work, which become stronger and also become more resilient, that is, able to withstand long, but moderate in intensity loads. But aerobic training cannot increase the strength and volume of muscles, as well as “sculpt” beautiful body contours, since physical activity of this nature provides the “internal stability” of the body rather than external beauty. That is why, to put it simply, to prolong life, you need to engage in aerobic training, and for the beauty of the body - strength training.

There is currently wide choose various types aerobic training such as dancing, running, walking, jumping rope, etc. Each person can choose the type of training that for some reason he likes more than others. However, the most simple and at the same time useful aerobic training is ordinary walking, which is available to all people at any time of the year and in any place. Walking is a gentle and very physiological exercise that allows you to achieve all the positive effects of aerobic exercise. In addition, when walking, the risk of injury is minimal, and the benefits are high, and this type of aerobic exercise can be used until old age. That is why with full confidence we can say that the expression "walking for life" is completely accurate and scientifically sound, and not metaphorical!

The benefits of walking

Walking is a natural, habitual and physiological form of physical activity for a person of any age and gender. The movements made by a person when walking are cyclic, that is, the various muscles of the body alternately relax and tighten, which allows you to achieve an excellent training effect. Physical activity during walking is not too intense and high, it corresponds to the optimum for each muscle of the body, which ensures that there is no overload and associated dangers such as injury, overexertion, fatigue, etc. In addition, by changing the speed of walking or the terrain used for walking, you can easily increase or decrease the load, transferring it from a training mode to a gentle general strengthening one and vice versa.

For endurance training and improvement of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, walking is much more effective than various static physical activities (exercises on simulators, weight lifting, etc.). The movements of the body and the work of the muscles when walking perfectly knead the stiff members, disperse the blood in all organs and tissues, including abdominal cavity and the pelvis, and also increase the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered by the blood to the tissues.

Walking promotes weight loss, improves mood and general condition of the body, and also normalizes blood pressure, prevents atherosclerosis and reduces the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, a person involved in walking literally goes very far from heart attacks, strokes, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and other diseases. of cardio-vascular system. Thus, walking is optimal training for a long and active life without the burden of chronic diseases.

According to the effectiveness of maintaining normal functional state of the cardiovascular system and the prevention of its diseases, walking is literally unmatched. Thus, according to a long-term study conducted in various countries Europe, which involved people aged 40-65 years, it was shown that 3-4 hours of walking per week reduces the risk coronary disease hearts by 30 - 45%! More than half of the people who participated in the study and were walking did not suffer from any diseases of the cardiovascular system at all, felt great and were very active. People who did not walk felt much worse and more often suffered from severe chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, scientists have found that walking is the ideal form of exercise for women, because it does not exhaust like exercising on simulators.

In general, the benefits of a daily 30-minute walk for the human body are to achieve the following positive effects:

The heart muscle is strengthened, blood flow in all organs and tissues improves, and the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to them increases;
Prevents heart attack, stroke and vascular thromboembolism;
The level of cholesterol in the blood decreases;
Reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes by 30 - 40%;
Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer in women;
Reduced risk of developing cancer prostate in men by 50%;
Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer in men and women;
The digestion process improves and the regularity of the stool is normalized;
Reduced risk of developing glaucoma;
Decreased intraocular pressure;
Improves mood and stops depression;
The feeling of isolation and helplessness stops;
Sleep is normalized and insomnia is eliminated;
Increased life expectancy and quality;
Improving general well-being;
Increased lung capacity and depth of breathing;
Bones, joints and spine are strengthened, which reduces the risk of fractures, dislocations and other traumatic injuries support- locomotive apparatus;
Immunity improves due to the hardening effect, as a result of which a person gets sick less often and more easily tolerates colds and seasonal respiratory diseases;
The muscular frame is strengthened and endurance increases;
Promotes weight loss;
The aging process slows down;
Eliminates stress.

Not all the positive effects of walking are listed above, but only the main, most significant ones. However, even considering only them, it is clear that walking brings exceptional benefits to a person, at the same time being easy and quite simple view physical activity that does not require special skills, equipment and sports grounds.

However, it must be remembered that these beneficial effects walking is achieved only if it is quite vigorous and at a good pace. Slow walks at a very low speed and pace are useless, because with this type of movement, various muscles of the body are practically not involved, and the body does not receive physical activity. In fact, slow movement in terms of the level of physical activity is no different from that at rest, for example, when lying on a sofa or sitting in an easy chair. That is, when walking slowly, the heart, blood vessels, lungs, muscles and other organs work in approximately the same mode as at rest. Therefore, to get the benefits of walking, you need to walk at a fast pace. It is better to walk 20 minutes at a fast pace than an hour of slowly rearranging your legs.

Wellness walking (recommendations of a vertebrologist doctor): benefits for the spine and the whole body, how to walk correctly, pulse rate - video

Contraindications for walking

Walking is contraindicated if a person has the following diseases:

Cardiac ischemia;
aortic aneurysm;
Ventricular tachycardia.

Types of walking

Depending on the pace, speed, distance traveled and the devices used, there are the following types walk:

Wellness;
Scandinavian;
Energy;
Sports;
Walking for weight loss.

Wellness walking

Health walking is an accessible type of physical activity for every person, which is aimed at general strengthening organism. Depending on the intensity of the load, health walking can be slow, medium, fast and very fast. Each person can choose for himself best option depending on age general condition organism and physical training.

nordic walking

Nordic walking is a variant of movement with sticks in hands. A person steps with his feet and at the same time pushes off the ground with sticks held in his hands. The presence of sticks makes, firstly, to increase the length of the steps, and secondly, it involves in intensive work upper part body, which creates a fairly intense physical activity. During Nordic walking, 90% of all muscles of the human body are involved, which intensifies the load, increases the number of calories burned and allows you to involve all muscle groups in training. In addition, poles in the hands absorb impacts on the knees and back, which minimizes unnecessary stress on the joints.

Nordic walking poles are lightweight and durable, as they are made from a mixture of fiberglass and carbon. The length of the sticks is calculated individually according to the formula: human height * 0.68.

energy walking

Energy walking is a combination of various movements of the body and arms during walking. Movements of the body and hands are made consciously, because with their help the flow of energies is initiated in accordance with traditional oriental medical and wellness practices. Thanks to the activation of the circulation of energy through the channels, healing and balance are restored throughout the body. Energy walking can be practiced without any aids or with poles other than those used for Nordic walking.

Race walking

Race walking is a fast movement without switching to running. In principle, the main point of race walking is to move with maximum speed without running. The speed of such a walk is 2-3 times higher than that of a health-improving one due to the length and high frequency of steps. Sports doctors believe that this option walking is more useful than running, because with a comparable level of load, a person gets less tired and there is no strong pressure on the joints and spine.

characteristic feature sports walking is that the supporting leg is kept straight from the moment it touches the ground and until the weight of the body is transferred through this point. To fulfill this condition, a person intensively works with his hands and shakes his torso and pelvis. Unlike running, race walking there is no flight phase when both legs are off the ground.

Race walking can be practiced by anyone who does not suffer from flat feet. With flat feet, this type of walking cannot be practiced, since the weight of the body is distributed incorrectly over the foot, which can cause injury.

Walking for weight loss

Walking for weight loss is, in fact, a quick version of health walking, the effect of which is aimed at reducing the hour. However, it must be remembered that in order to achieve a result, you need to walk, firstly, quickly, and secondly, to overcome a sufficiently large distance, that is, to take at least 10,000 steps daily.

The benefits of Nordic walking - video

Walking technique

Health walking should not be confused with a leisurely walk before bed or to improve appetite, as they are different types of exercise. We will consider the technique and rules of health-improving walking, since the benefits of this type of movement are very high, and all other walking options, in fact, are its varieties.

Foot, posture, arms and torso when walking

When walking, keep your torso in correct position, namely: straighten your back, slightly flatten your shoulder blades, tighten your stomach and place your head so that your chin is parallel to the floor. Then, without changing the adopted position, you should slightly move the weight of the body forward so that it is concentrated on the tubercles of the foot and fingers. In principle, the correct distribution of body weight can be achieved more simple way. To do this, you need to try to stand on your toes on straight legs and, as soon as you feel that the weight has moved forward so much that you can tear your heels off the floor, you should fix in this position, since it is proper distribution body weight for walking. Having taken the necessary position, you should hold it until the person finishes walking.

It is necessary to walk at a good pace, vigorously rearranging the legs. When taking a step, you must first bring the thigh of one leg forward. Immediately after this, you should simultaneously straighten the knee of the same leg, and with the second leg, which is behind the body, push off the ground, rising to the toe. After the push, the leg that is in front must be placed in a straightened state with the heel on the ground so that the toe is turned up. The leg that is behind is completely extended and placed on the toe. At this moment, the weight of the body is concentrated between two legs, that is, a person cannot lift either of them without first moving the center of gravity.

From this position, the weight of the body is transferred to the leg that is in front. To do this, the foot of the front leg is quickly lowered to the ground, leaning on the knolls of the fingers and its outer surface. In this case, the leg remains straight. The leg left behind is bent at the knee and her thigh is brought forward for the next step. After the withdrawal of the hips, straighten the leg at the knee and, simultaneously pushing off with the second leg, lower it with the heel to the ground, etc.

Thanks to the push of the leg, which turns out to be behind, the step is long, elastic and springy. When walking, the foot works, as if constantly rolling from heel to toe. You can not immediately put the entire foot of the walking leg (located in front) on the ground, you must first lean on the heel and only after that transfer the weight of the body to the knolls of the fingers. The foot of the back foot, before the front foot rests on the heel, rises to the toe, and in this position gives a push to the body in the forward direction in order to push the front foot as far as possible. And only when the front leg rests on the ground with the heel, the entire weight of the body begins to be transferred to it, for which the foot gradually falls completely to the ground. And at the moment when the foot of the front leg is completely on the ground, the foot of the hind leg, which was in the position on the toes, comes off the floor and the thigh begins to move forward to perform the next step.

When walking, you should try to put the heels of the feet on one fictional line passing between the legs (as models do when walking along the catwalk at fashion shows). At the same time, it is necessary to turn the socks outward a little, but if this does not work out, then it is quite possible to clubfoot, since this will not affect walking in a negative way. While walking, you should not relax your knees, you should always fully straighten the pushing leg, which turns out to be behind the body during the next step.

While walking, it is better to bend your arms at the elbows and move them in opposition to your legs (that is, when the right leg is in front, then it corresponds to left hand etc.). You should look forward, and not under your feet, and the face while walking should remain relaxed, not tense. The torso, legs and shoulders should be in good shape, but not the face and hands.

You should not try to lengthen your stride by trying to put the foot in front as far as possible. This walking technique is incorrect and traumatic.

Breathing while walking

It is necessary to breathe rhythmically, at the same pace as walking and only through the nose. However, if the pace of walking is fast, then you can breathe through both your mouth and nose at the same time, but only if the air in the walking area is clean enough. If the air is dirty, there is a lot of dust in it, or the weather is frosty or windy, then you should inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Proper breathing at first will require quite serious efforts, but after a while a person gets used to a certain breathing pattern and rhythm of inhalations-exhalations, which allows him to no longer control this process. However, at the beginning of classes, one should strictly control that when walking on a flat area, the inhalation lasts 3-4 steps, and the exhalation lasts 4-5 steps. If a person climbs a mountain, then it is necessary that the breath be longer than expiration, and when descending, on the contrary, the exhalation should be longer than the inhalation.

There should be no shortness of breath while walking. If this appears, you should reduce the pace, that is, go slower. It is better to walk at a slower pace for several days or weeks, training endurance so that in the future you will move much faster, and not get severe complications from the first lesson.

The optimal breathing rhythm is such that a person should be able to speak in the process of movement, but could not sing. Accordingly, if a person cannot speak while walking, then the pace and speed of movement should be reduced, and if he can sing, then, on the contrary, it is necessary to add a step.

How many minutes and kilometers a day do you need to walk?

A healthy person striving to maintain shape and improve health is recommended to walk every other day, and not every day, but do it at an intense and fast pace, walking a fairly long distance. Daily walking is recommended for people who are weakened after an illness or suffering from severe chronic pathologies. Moreover, they are advised to walk at a moderate or low pace and walk a relatively short distance, but do it every day.

Depending on the physical form, endurance and state of health, it is necessary to walk from 3 - 5 to 10 - 15 km daily, or every other day. A completely healthy person who is in good physical shape is recommended to walk on rough terrain, alternating descents, ascents and a flat surface. People who are not in best form, it is recommended to start walking on level ground, gradually increasing the distance, walking speed, and adding uphill and downhill movement.

Besides, healthy people it is better to walk quickly, making the main emphasis on the pace of movement, and weakened and suffering chronic diseases on the contrary, relatively slow walking is recommended, with the main emphasis on distance.

For walking to be beneficial, you need to walk 10,000 steps every day for about 1 hour. However, not all people can immediately walk that many steps at the right pace, so you should start classes with less, gradually training endurance and increasing both speed and distance traveled until the desired parameter of 10,000 steps is reached.

In order to independently organize walking, you must be able to translate all of the above rules into the speed of movement and the distance that should be overcome during the walk. Then you can choose the best walking option for yourself.

So, according to the speed of walking is divided into the following types:

Very slow - 60 - 70 steps per minute, which is a speed of 2.5 - 3 km / h;
Slow - 70 - 90 steps per minute, which is 3 - 4 km / h;
Average - 90 - 120 steps per minute, which is 4 - 5.5 km / h;
Fast - 120 - 140 steps per minute, which is 5.6 - 6.5 km / h;
Very fast - more than 140 steps per minute, which is more than 6.5 km / h.

If a person is over 35 years old and has never played sports before, then he should start with a very slow walk. If a person over 35 years old is in good physical shape or very slow walking seems too easy for him, then you should start with a slow one. People under 35 are also advised to start with a slow walk. In the first week, you should walk for half an hour at the chosen pace. Then every two weeks it is necessary to increase the walking time by 5 minutes, and the pace by 5 steps per minute, thereby lengthening the distance traveled. Thus, they achieve an increase in the speed of movement up to 100 steps per minute, and the duration of walking - 1 hour. Walking at this pace for an hour is about 10,000 steps, which are the "gold standard" of this type of physical activity. Having reached such a physical form, you just need to walk 10,000 steps in an hour in 1-2 days.

Described exemplary scheme increasing the load to the optimum is presented in the table.

*Week of classes*	*Number of steps per minute*	*Walking time*	*Walkable distance*
First week	80 steps per minute	30 minutes	1.8 km
Second week	85 steps per minute	40 minutes	2.7 km
Third week	85 steps per minute	45 minutes	3.3 km
Fourth week	90 steps per minute	50 minutes	3.4 km
Fifth week	90 steps per minute	50 minutes	3.7 km
sixth week	95 steps per minute	55 minutes	3.8 km
seventh week	95 steps per minute	55 minutes	3.8 km
Eighth week	100 steps per minute	55 minutes	4.1 km
Ninth week	100 steps per minute	60 minutes	4.5 km

If a person cannot walk at a speed of 100 steps per minute for an hour, then you should do it at a slower pace, but be sure to walk a distance of 3-5 km daily. If a person can walk at a speed of more than 100 steps per minute, then it is recommended to do this, and then he will be engaged in fast walking and walk a greater distance within an hour.

Calculating your speed of movement is quite simple - you need to start moving at your own pace, detect 1 minute and carefully calculate the number of steps taken. Then you just need to move at the same pace, maintaining the same speed. When you need to increase the number of steps, do in the following way: they mark one minute on the clock and try to move a little faster than before, counting the steps and at the same time remembering the sensations of the new speed with the muscles. If in a minute it turned out to be passed required amount steps, then you should continue moving at a new pace, trying to get the same muscle sensation as when calculating the speed. To facilitate the task of tracking and adjusting your speed, you can use a pedometer.

During training, especially early stages walking, it is necessary to track not only breathing and the number of steps per minute, but also the pulse. It is optimal that while walking, the pulse quickens to 100 - 120 beats per minute. If the pulse is below 100 beats per minute, then it is necessary to increase the pace, and if it is above 120, then, on the contrary, reduce the speed of movement.

If a person walks too slowly and the pulse does not increase to 100 - 120 beats per minute, then the benefits of such a workout are zero. The fact is that the metabolic process with a pulse below 100 beats per minute proceeds at the same speed as at rest, and, therefore, such training differs little from just sitting on the couch. Therefore, it is better to walk a shorter distance at a good pace and then rest than to walk more kilometers at a low speed.

Any weather is suitable for walking, you just need to dress appropriately for air temperature, humidity and wind speed. It is optimal to walk 1 hour before a meal or 1.5 - 2 hours after a meal. However, it is necessary to choose the time for walking so that the walk ends 2 hours before going to bed. With regular classes, you should go to different time days.

Running and walking (recommendations from a fitness trainer): how to start walking and running correctly, how to choose shoes - video

How many calories can you burn walking?

Normal wellness walking at an average pace (100 steps per minute) allows you to burn approximately 200 - 280 kcal, depending on weather conditions. Nordic walking with sticks in this sense is much more effective, since it allows you to burn from 400 to 550 kcal in one hour, provided that a person moves at an average pace (100 steps per minute). The colder, windier and wetter it is outside, the large quantity calories can be burned in 1 hour of walking. Accordingly, the more comfortable the conditions on the street, the fewer calories are burned when walking.

No need to try to increase the number of calories burned by dressing too much. warm clothes for the purpose of provoking profuse sweating. This will only provoke increased excretion of fluid and salts from the body with the risk of catching a cold, but not increase the number of calories burned.

Therapeutic and wellness walking, health path (recommendations from doctors and specialists): the correct start of classes, load regulation, the choice of clothing, features of wellness walking after a heart attack, the benefits and techniques of northern walking - video

Technique and rules of walking for weight loss

Walking is excellent and very effective view physical activity for all people who want to lose weight. To achieve the result, that is, to reset excess weight, you need to walk daily at least at an average speed (at least 100 steps per minute) for an hour. Remember that during the first 45 minutes of walking the body uses glycogen stores from the liver, and only from 46 to 50 minutes does it begin to break down fat stores in order to provide energy to the muscles. Therefore, walking for weight loss should last at least an hour and have a minimum average pace (100 steps per minute). In addition, for walking to be really effective physical activity, promoting weight loss, you should bring your pulse to 100 - 120 beats per minute.

The technique and rules of walking for weight loss are exactly the same as for wellness. Therefore, you can start training as if a person is engaged in recreational walking. But at the same time, you should definitely set yourself the goal of reaching an average or fast pace, in which you walk for at least 1 hour daily.

To make the process of losing weight faster, you can follow a diet at the same time as walking or eat foods that promote the breakdown of body fat, such as kiwi, pineapple, etc.

In addition, walking can be used not only as a method of losing weight, but also for shaping the silhouette, that is, for strengthening and tightening. various parts body. However, for this, some additional elements will have to be added to the usual health walking technique. So, to pull up the hips and buttocks, you need to walk up the slopes, that is, you should choose rough terrain for walking. In addition, to form beautiful buttocks, you need to strain them strongly while walking, while relaxing your back. In order to make the waist thin and beautiful, you need to slightly turn the body to the left and right while walking every 2 to 3 steps.

Walking during pregnancy

Pregnant women can go in for walking until the very birth. Walking is great option exercise for pregnant women, since it is physiological, does not cause sharp body shocks, like running, and is available to everyone, unlike classes in the pool, yoga and specialized fitness.

It has long been explained by doctors, and she herself is recommended by trainers. However, most people still look for a minibus when they go to the store. Some even go to the stall for cigarettes by car. And at the same time, everyone complains about a “beer” tummy, interruptions in the heart and weakness in the legs if they have to stand in line.

We lose weight without problems

In the list of what walking is useful for, the most attractive item for many will be getting rid of excess weight. People usually begin to think about health when problems begin with it, but attractiveness worries them almost from the moment it begins to be lost. And this is even good: having started walking for the sake of losing weight, a person at the same time will strengthen his health.

Researchers have found that the benefits of walking for gaining slimness are much higher than from regular visits. gym. Walking more effective diets and gives a more stable result, unless, of course, accompanied by gluttony. When walking for half an hour, the same amount of fat is “burned out” as you spend in the fitness room in an hour. And at the same time, you do not have to pay for such training. In addition, the loads during walking are natural and evenly distributed. You are not threatened with "strength" or overload of individual muscle groups. And an additional bonus can be considered an improvement in posture if at first you accustom yourself to walking with your shoulders back. By the way, this is not difficult to do: it is enough to wear a slightly loaded backpack on both straps.

Say no to old age

The undoubted benefits of walking on foot are also observed for those who want to push back the onset of senile infirmity as far as possible. Most common cause age-related mortality - strokes and heart attacks. And they are caused by weakness of blood vessels and heart muscle. To strengthen them, static loads - lifting weights, exercising on simulators, and so on - are not very suitable. But clean air, rhythmic movements and uniform load cope with the task perfectly. The pressure stabilizes - the vessels cease to experience excessive impact. The heart catches the right rhythm and is not overloaded, while strengthening.

Fighting apathy and depression

Another reason rapid aging- stresses, without which our life is not complete, even if we carefully avoid unpleasant impressions and sensations. The benefit of walking is also that it quickly and without medication eliminates the effects of nervous shocks.

European doctors conducted a large-scale study age group from 40 to 65 years old. It was held long years and gave stunning results: the risk of heart disease drops by almost half if people just walk at a brisk pace for about three hours a day. In addition, among those who like to walk, it was not observed senile dementia, atherosclerosis and other diseases frequent at their age.

Prevent dangerous diseases

The list of benefits of walking is long and convincing. His most compelling points are:

Reducing "bad" cholesterol in the blood naturally to the minimum. This means preventing the occurrence of diseases associated with it.
At least a third reduces the likelihood of occurrence diabetes.
In women, the risk of getting a breast tumor is noticeably reduced, in men - prostate cancer, in both - oncology of the intestine.
Without medical intervention (including medications), the gastrointestinal tract normalizes.
The risk of developing glaucoma drops to almost zero.
Strengthening the skeleton and joints prevents the development of osteoporosis, arthritis and rheumatism.
Immunity is growing: “walkers” do not catch the virus even in the midst of epidemics.

True, to achieve such results, daily walking is required. The benefits of one-time walks are much lower.

How much do you need

The average person who leaves home only to take the bus to work and the tram to the store takes no more than 3,000 steps on a working day. It is so small that backfire for the body can be considered secured.

If a person is more conscious and travels to work (located nearby) on foot, he steps about 5 thousand times. Better - but still not enough. In order not to lose given by nature, you need to take at least 10 thousand steps daily, which will be a distance of approximately 7.5 km. With an average speed of movement, you need to travel for about two hours - and your health will not leave you.

Where and how is it better to walk?

It is advisable to choose the right places for walking. Naturally, if you combine walking with going to work, you will not be able to adjust the route too much. However, walks in free time allow you to choose a "useful" trajectory of movement. Parks are best suited for these purposes: there is gas-free, clean air, fairly flat paths that are quite suitable for walking, plus at least some kind of nature. If there is no park nearby, choose a route away from transport arteries. At least in the courtyards of houses.

In addition, the benefits of walking are observed only if the person walks vigorously. When you wander slowly and sadly, your body works in a mode not much different from the rest mode.

No special walking equipment is required. The only thing worth paying attention to is shoes. Slippers or heels are clearly not suitable for a long and brisk walk.

Only fresh air!

I would also like to note that walking down the street can in no way be replaced by using a treadmill in sports club, even in the most intensive mode. You only need to walk outside: here you get your dose of sun, which makes your body produce vitamin D. Without it, the healing effect will be much lower, although the weight loss will remain at the same level. And you do not need to excuse the clouds. Even on a cloudy day sun rays enough to stimulate production valuable vitamin in the right amount.

How to train yourself to walk?

Laziness, they say, is the engine of progress. But it is also a stopcock for maintaining physical fitness. You don’t want to make unnecessary gestures, and the person begins to justify himself with a lack of time or other objective circumstances. However, you can gently force yourself to start walking. The methods are simple and feasible.

If your office is two stops from home, walk to and from work. If you can’t do without a trip by transport, get out of it one stop earlier when traveling by metro and two stops earlier if you travel by minibus, tram or trolleybus.
Do not take your “brakes” with you to work, take a walk for lunch in a cafe. And not the closest.
Forget the elevator. Let you live on the 20th floor - walk. To begin with, only down, with time and home, go back up the stairs. In addition to losing weight, improving health and developing a “breather”, you will also gain elastic buttocks by the summer, with which you are not ashamed to appear on the beach even in a swimsuit with a thong.

Having appreciated all the advantages of walking, each person should make the first effort on himself and maintain it throughout his life. Unless, of course, he does not want to remind himself of a ruin in his shallow old age and regret the missed opportunities. After all, walking is just fun. If you can't walk aimlessly, challenge yourself to walk to the beach, a museum, or your favorite coffee shop. Or find a like-minded person with whom it will be interesting to talk during a walk. Or get yourself a dog.

Doctors believe sedentary image life the same dangerous factor for health, like being overweight and smoking. Therefore, anyone modern man it is important to know how much you need to walk a day to maintain your health.

Why walking and not sports? The fact is that man is conceived by nature as an active being. In most cases, individual sports activities are simply not enough for us. To live long and healthy life You need to move a lot throughout the day. And walking is one of the most accessible and effective ways physical activity.

Health benefits of walking and walking

Movement is life. The phrase, which is familiar to each of us, is backed by strong scientific evidence. A sedentary lifestyle condemns people to diseases, bad feeling, lethargy and shortens life expectancy. Knowing this, many of us join the gym and regularly go there three times a week. And the rest of the time they continue to sit on a chair. Agree, the modern pace of life is not very conducive to long walks. Few seriously think about how much you need to walk a day. Fitness, yoga, dancing, aerobics seem to be a great solution to such a problem.

But it is not so. Doing sports is really beneficial. However, individual classes do not at all compensate for the fact that you move little throughout the day. The more often you get up from your chair, the better it will be for your health. And walking is an important part of your daily physical activity. In addition, walking may be safer than running, as it is a more natural activity for us. Walking virtually eliminates damage to the ligaments and joints, so walking is good for all ages and is suitable for people with poor physical fitness.

10 arguments that will make you get up from your chair and go for a walk

Work at the same time while walking different groups leg muscles. This activates the blood flow, which enriches the internal organs with oxygen and speeds up the metabolism. People with a fast metabolism are less likely to be overweight.

Strengthens blood vessels and heart reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Improves respiratory function and reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(which is especially common in smokers).

The joints, bones and spine are strengthened. Walking is a great preventive measure. varicose veins veins and osteoporosis.

Work is getting better digestive tract . Food is digested faster and better.

The aging process and the onset of dementia slow down. Regular walks rejuvenate the body.

Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Walking helps you stay fit and reduces the risk of obesity.

Has a general strengthening effect and reduces the risk of developing breast and colon cancer.

The mood rises and improved mental health.

Experts equate the benefits of walking with running. Running and walking work the same muscles, but running requires more physical fitness. Therefore, people with poor health and overweight it is recommended to start with intensive walking so as not to harm the joints and heart.

How to walk and walk the right way

You can go in for walking for different purposes: in order to breathe fresh air or for recovery and weight loss. Accordingly, approaches to classes will be different.

There is an opinion that a person should walk 10,000 steps a day. This idea came to us from Japan and belongs to Yoshiro Hatano. In the 60s of the XX century, he invented the first electronic pedometer, which he called "manpo-kei" (translated as "pedometer of 10,000 steps"). But this figure is still controversial, so scientists are inclined to an individual approach.

For those who lead sedentary image life and is just starting to walk, you need to walk slowly and at a comfortable pace. Such a walk should take at least half an hour every day. The longer you can walk, the better.

When you get used to a moderate pace, you can move on to more intensive walking. It is this kind of walking that heals and helps to lose weight. A quick step is equivalent to sports training, maintains excellent physical shape and maintains health.

For health walking, you need to walk quickly, as if you are in a hurry somewhere. The average speed is about 5-6 km / h, which is approximately equal to 90-110 steps per minute. Time - at least half an hour, better - 1 hour.

It is recommended to cover a distance of 5 km every day at an average pace. But the number of steps will be different for everyone, since the width of the step will be different for everyone. A pedometer will help you determine the optimal number of steps for you (there are applications for smartphones or you can buy a fitness bracelet).

This kind vigorous activity how walking is the result of work various groups muscles. Their activation helps to maintain the tone of the whole body. While walking, not only muscles and limbs are involved, but also neurophysiological and biomechanical processes are activated, which have a positive complex effect on the body.

The movement of the legs during walking is carried out in the vertical, transverse, longitudinal planes. With an increase in the pace, the amplitude of vertical movements, the activity of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus, and the intensity of energy consumption increase.

Engaging the leg muscles leads to increased blood flow. This contributes to a more intensive oxygen enrichment. internal organs and acceleration of metabolic processes occurring in the body.

Taking regular walks fresh air promotes health by providing the following positive effects:

strengthens the cardiovascular, muscular, respiratory systems;
promotes the removal of toxins;
eliminates body fat: at an average speed of 1.5 km, up to 100 kcal is burned in a quarter of an hour;
is the prevention of hypokinesia (hypodynamia), somatic diseases, varicose veins, diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
relieves sleep problems;
renders beneficial effect on the psyche;
increases immunity and stamina.

The benefits of hiking for men is to remove stagnant processes in the pelvis. It's in to a large extent reduces the risk of developing prostatitis and other ailments.

Walking or running - which is better?

Both walking and running have almost the same effect. In both types of vigorous activity, similar muscles and sections of the musculoskeletal system are involved. The difference is that running requires a greater degree of fitness and endurance.

You should start running only after strengthening the body by hiking on regular basis. Running is recommended for people who do not suffer from overweight. Otherwise high loads can harm the heart and joints.

Walking does not require good physical fitness. An intensive hour-long walk, according to doctors, can not only replace a half-hour run, but is also more beneficial for health.

What are the contraindications and indications for walking?

Hiking, with the goal of improving health, is suitable for both men and women, regardless of age. The pace and duration, route and time are selected individually. The benchmark is your own well-being. Walking, despite its versatility, has a number of indications and contraindications.

reduced immunity;
depressed - lethargic state;
loss of strength;
a general feeling of weakness.

Walking is contraindicated for people suffering from:

arterial high pressure;
chronic kidney disease;
diabetes
arrhythmia and cardiovascular disorders;
glaucoma;
violation of the retina, when there is a threat of its detachment;
colds and other acute diseases.

Walking is not allowed after a heart attack or stroke.

Three Principles of Walking

The usefulness of hiking lies in the observance of three clear principles:

Moderation

The choice of the degree of intensity and duration of walks should be based on the state of health and the state of the body. No sudden surges.

gradualism

The duration and pace of walking should increase without any jumps and transitions.

Regularity

You need to take walks every day. If there is no opportunity for daily walking, it is acceptable to walk for at least 30 minutes three to four times a week.

What is the best time to walk?

The daily walk should include the way to and from work. If you walk far to work, you need to accustom yourself to walk several stops. Morning walks invigorate, and evening walks contribute to a good and sound sleep.

Walking on hot days better in the morning or in the evening. Frosty weather in winter time year, except for extreme low temperatures, stimulates to build up a fast pace and a good load on the body.

How and how much should you walk?

Depends on individual physical features organism. Good exercise for an untrained person allows you to get low-intensity walking, at a pace of 4 km per hour, the pulse at which reaches 80 beats per minute.

The duration of the walk at first should be from 20 minutes. IN further time walk increase to 30-40 minutes. Depending on the individual features, this can take from several weeks to months.

The duration of walks in order to achieve a healing effect should be at least 35 minutes, provided that the step speed is 7 km / h, and the pulse rate is 65-80 beats per minute. Accelerated wellness walking has a beneficial effect on health, which manifests itself:

reducing the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases;
weight loss;
normalization of blood pressure;
improvement of physical endurance;
increasing the aerobic capacity of the body.

The duration of the “training” in accelerated walking ranges from several months to a year, until walking a distance of 6-10 km stops tiring. When the goal is achieved, the physical form is supported by various loads, without stopping regular walks at an accelerated pace.

Walking in one place

It exerts a load on all the main systems of the body, strengthens and increases its endurance. The difference from normal walking is that there is no progress, and the efficiency remains the same.

Stair walking

Effectively corrects well-being. You should start climbing the stairs by refusing to use the elevator. If physical state allows, you can not be limited to raising to the desired floor, but to reach the last one. When vertical movements cease to bring pain in the calf muscles, shortness of breath and palpitations will pass, the rises are made more difficult, first standing on toes, stepping on each step, and then stepping over one.

Climbing stairs develops and strengthens leg muscles, stabilizes blood pressure, and burns several times more calories than running. achieve positive effect when climbing stairs, you can when the walking time is at least 20-35 minutes. The time to reach this duration is individual for everyone.

The usefulness of walking on a horizontal and vertical plane for the human body is multifaceted. You can start walking at any time. The main thing is to refuse to use the elevator and transport, getting to work and home, if the distance allows it, on foot.

Nordic walking - the path to health

Walking is useful and multifaceted. It allows you to use not only the legs, but the whole body as a whole. Even a small speed makes our body work in a different rhythm. Of particular note are the benefits of walking. He renders special influence on our life. Thanks to a strong and even spine, human organs occupy the correct positions.

If you walk a lot, the tissues of the vertebrae are massaged and strengthened. This is due to the fact that when the voltage muscle mass gets even into the most difficult places, enriching everything with the necessary oxygen. Slight swaying of each vertebra creates a relaxed massage effect.

Walking has a positive effect on every organ, saturating with oxygen. Also, such walks are expelled from tissues. harmful slags. If you walk regularly, the likelihood of heart problems is greatly reduced. Blood pressure normalizes and cholesterol comes out of the body.

Do not miss the moment that when it is recommended to move a lot and walk. So, if there are even minor problems with being overweight, walking will always come to you. Walking for half an hour will help reduce the risk of vascular disease, relieve shortness of breath, normalize blood pressure, strengthen bones and muscles, and relieve stress.

The duration and intensity of walking should be adequate. Start walking with gradual loading. Don't chase fast results. In case, you will start to get tired and you will get tired of it. To begin with, try to walk longer rather than faster. Thus, you will train endurance. Over time, you will find it easier to increase your speed.

After 2-3 months of regular walking, you will bring average speed up to 100-110 steps per minute.

Experts recommend walking often and a lot. Ideal - daily for 40-60 minutes. Here it is worth considering your own workload and employment, since in the modern world not everyone can afford such walks. However, it is worth striving for the standard.

After even a slight break, walking should start again with small loads. After that, you can gradually raise the bar to the result that you achieved earlier.

The maximum benefit from walking can be obtained if, in the process, the shoulders are spread apart and