As with the Weight Loss blog, today I am taking advantage of Cinco de Mayo to indulge in one of my favorite things – list making. Today’s list is the top five reasons to get walking more and I think you will agree with some of them, if not all.
The Prices at the Pumps
With gas prices hovering around the $3 mark and not likely to drop any time soon, if you can walk to a corner store, grocery store or even just down the street rather than driving – now would be the time to do it. Not only will you increase your fitness, but you will decrease how much you are spending on gas. One of the best ways to combine minimizing gas with walking is to go to a large shopping center that may have all the stores you need; park in one spot and walk to each of them rather than moving the car.
The Weather is Delightful
I’ll grant you – it gets bloody hot here in the summer time, but even in the summer – our mornings are pretty spectacular. Take advantage of the breezy, warm weather to get outside and walk. If you don’t have a destination in mind – that’s okay – I am fortunate enough to live in neighborhood where a lot of my neighbors get out and walk, ride bikes, walk dogs or take the kids to the local playgrounds. You can consider walking a get to know your neighbors activity around here.
Setting a Good Example
Let’s face it, when we were kids being told to do what we were told as opposed to what we were showed is not the always the best way to get the message across. When I encourage walking, my daughter likes to walk with me. She likes to take daily bike rides and she likes it when I go along. We’re both excited about kindergarten starting in the fall, because she and I can walk to the school from the house and walk home everyday.
Weight Loss, Looking Trimmer
Studies have shown that people who walk an average of 4.5 miles a day are slimmer and more trim than those who only walk 2 miles a day or less. Our remote control and easy convenience society has reduced the amount of walking we do on an average basis of 300 to 800 calories a day. For most of us, those lost calories translate into a weight loss of a pound per week. Shopping online is great and so is the drive through window and the multitude of delivery services – but convenience comes at a cost to our physical fitness .
Social Activity
As described above, walking is a social activity. Whether you are walking to a destination or just walking about; you and whomever you are walking with will have time to talk and catch up without the distractions of traffic, radio or road noise as you might experience in a car. For couples, walking can be a time of intimacy and connection, for families it can be times to just enjoy the company of each other.
These are all great reasons to get walking, to stay walking and to walk further everyday. So what are you sitting here reading this for? Get out there and start walking. (I would – but it’s raining today – and our umbrella is on the fritz!)
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