3rd January – Go for a walk.

Go for a walk!

One of my top healthy habits is to get active and moving – in whatever way you can.  Walking is probably the easiest way to get moving, because doesn’t have to require any special kit or clothing, and you can do as much or as little as you want.

Today’s walk was a bit more of an ice-skating, mud-wading adventure than a brisk walk, but it is very pretty out through the winter field and lanes, even if it was all a bit boggy and/or flooded!

Movement will feature in my top 30 healthy habits for January in various different forms, and I make no apologies for this; because being physically active has so many benefits, including increased fitness, improved weight maintenance and control, less risk of disability, and less risk of chronic diseases (such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many types of cancer). 

Walking is a good way to start improving your cardio-respiratory fitness.  This is important because poor cardio-respiratory fitness has been shown to be the leading cause of premature deaths from all-cause mortality (higher even than smoking or high blood pressure), just one of many reasons to get walking!

Ref: Blair, SN.  Physical inactivity: the biggest public health problem of the 21st century.  Aerobic Center Longitudinal Study.  British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2009.