Once you mastered that, take your
time increasing to a higher level.
Never increase more than 10 percent
more any one day than your
maximum the prior week. Once you
are ready, increase your goal to
10,000 steps a day (A pedometer will
help — see item #4).
3. Regular walking lowers blood
pressure, improves sleep and
energizes you
Regular walkers have fewer heart
attacks and strokes, lower blood
pressure and higher levels of HDL
(healthy cholesterol) than non-
exercisers. Walking can lower
blood pressure and LDL (lousy
cholesterol), decrease the risk of
many cancers and improve
immune system function. Plus it
improves quality of sleep and
keeps you energized.
4. Walks can be easier and more
fun with a pedometer and a pal
Tracking your steps with a
pedometer is key to walking
success, says Michael F. Roizen,
MD, Chair of Cleveland Clinic’s
Wellness Institute and co-author of
the audiobook YOU: On a Walk.
People who love their pedometers
logged a reported 2,000 more steps
per day.
To make your workout feel easier
too, ask someone to join you. With
a walking buddy, you’re bound to
enjoy your workout more — and
feel it less.
5. People experience a major dip
in snack cravings during and
after a 15-minute walk
Cravings in general are usually bad
news for people trying to lose
weight. Craved-for foods tend to be
calorie-dense, fatty or sugary, with
chocolate being the most
commonly reported. Recent
findings show that walking can
curtail a hankering for chocolate,
both during the walk and for about
10 minutes afterward. Says
Professor Adrian Taylor of the
University of Exeter, the scientist
behind the study, the findings
suggest that walking helps people
lose weight by curbing cravings for
sugary snacks.
Credit:health.clevelandclinic.org
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