Brisk Walking

In this fast paced lifestyle, we hardly get any time to exercise at home, let alone hitting the gym. Our sleeping patterns have undergone many changes and our food habits are outrageous. The worst part is that we know all this but we just can't help it. Competition in every field is reaching the sky and we have to keep up. But do not worry, there are some simple ways in which you can ensure at least a basic level of fitness. Brisk walking is one such easy way. By doing brisk walking exercise for just twenty to thirty minutes every day, you can burn off most of your excess calories, making it possible to use brisk walking to lose weight as well.

Brisk Walking Benefits

There are innumerable benefits of walking, especially of brisk walking. Calories burned in brisk walking are more than that in any other exercise for the same time span. Brisk walking helps you deal with stress better, by relaxing your mind. You would not believe how many diseases it can prevent. Osteoporosis, arthritis, colon cancer, heart troubles, etc. It is great to deal with any kind of back trouble and spinal cord problems. It is an incredible workout for strengthening and toning the leg muscles. Not many people know this, but brisk walking also burns off lot of fat on your belly. Regular brisk walking will improve your metabolism greatly. That way you will burn more calories with lesser physical activity. You also sleep tight, which happens even if you do any kind of exercise, but is worth mentioning. It is also a great cardio exercise and works incredibly on ridding you of harmful cholesterol. It also does not require any equipment or heavy gym fees.

Brisk Walking vs Jogging

Of course, calories burned by walking are much less than calories burned while running, but running will tire you more quickly, whereas you can do brisk walking for longer durations and burn off just as much calories as jogging. The most important benefit of brisk walking over jogging is that anyone can do it. An overweight person will burn out in two minutes if he is jogging, but he will be able to brisk walk at least for ten minutes. Also, with proper brisk walking speed variations he will be able to burn more calories than jogging. Another important thing is that walking can hardly ever give you any injuries but while running there are chances, even though rare, of you getting seriously injured. Old people will certainly prefer brisk walking over jogging. As I have said before, you can walk for more time than you can jog. Lasting long is a morale booster and the possibility of you quitting reduces.

Whatever exercise you do, if you are not going to do it regularly it is of no use. Also, if you are hoping to lose weight by brisk walking, you will have to team it up with a balanced diet and ample sleep. If that does not happen, just the walking will be of little help. And do not expect any overnight results. Even if you are losing weight, it will take some time to show results. A word of caution - if you are a heart patient or suffering from arthritis or any other joint problem, please consult your doctor before doing any kind of exercise. There are many products that have hit the market which promise you the benefits of a morning walk at home. You just have to lie down and place your legs on a machine which vibrates. Do not waste your money on them as they cannot give you the real benefits of a nice morning brisk walk.