Brisk Walking is all about good health, slowing down and finding the fun in everyday life.
Brisk walking is a great way to get moving, ease into a more active lifestyle, and enjoy the outdoors. It's inexpensive and doesn't require any special equipment or training.
Whether you call it power-walking, pavement pounding or just plain walking, brisk walking is one great way to get more active. Think about any concerns you may have about being able to build a brisk walking habit and put those worries aside. This can be a great way for anyone to exercise and become more active!
What is considered a brisk walk?
A brisk walk is about 3 miles an hour, which is faster than a stroll. You can tell you're walking briskly if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song. Brisk walking is also known as speed walking or power walking.
Brisk walking vs. walking
Walking is the best exercise, which is suitable for any age group. However, it is a low intensity workout. This means, it does not elevate our heart rate enough to influence our cardiovascular health as is possible in the case of brisk walking, jogging or running.
All these forms of exercises have their own health benefits.
Though walking is the slowest form of a workout regime, it is very helpful for beginners or those with limited physical abilities.
While power walking and regular walking both work the quads, hamstrings, calf muscles and hip abductors, power walking also tones the glutes, shoulders and upper back. Regular walking is still a lower-body workout, but tends to help burn calories more than anything else.
Power walking, on the other hand, helps burn calories while also toning your muscles more than a regular walk would. The more intense arm movements during power walking work the shoulders and upper back while engaging the entire body and challenging balance and stability, which works the core.
To make the most of your brisk walk, and to avoid injury, try to use the following techniques when walking:
Keep your head up, looking forward, not down.
Relax your neck, shoulders, and back, but don’t slouch or lean forward.
Keep your back straight, and engage your abdominal muscles.
Walk with a steady gait, rolling your foot from heel to toe.
Loosely swing your arms, or pump your arms a little with each stride.
If walking outside, don’t have headphones or earbuds turned up so loudly you can’t hear traffic or someone coming up behind you.
Research shows that walking has numerous health benefits such as a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. In addition research shows that brisk walking benefits nearly every aspect of your health. The more active you are the better a person you will be in all aspects of your life.
The benefits
6 of the MANY benefits brisk walking has to offer:
Reduces stress
Reduces blood pressure
Increases energy level
Improves sleep
Maintains a healthy weight
Improves mental health
If you're ready for the benefits of moderate exercise without having to sign up for a gym membership, brisk walking is your free pass to get in shape. Not only does brisk walking improve your physical health, but your mental health benefits as well.
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir
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