Life in lockdown led me to a new discovery. People were allowed outdoors once a day for exercise. I discovered my local park as a result. Pre-lockdown most of my days were spent traipsing around Central London for work purposes. I hardly ever slowed down. Walking was associated with productivity, hardly ever for leisure.
These days my local park is a haven. Lush greenery, wide spaces and the opportunity to do a few walking laps all within 10 minutes of my home.
Spending 120 minutes a week walking – in chunks of time or all in one go – is the recommended minimum amount for a healthy lifestyle.
Two hours a week may seem a lot of time to give up especially if you have a ton of things to do from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. Consider the benefits though. My fitness level has gone up and I notice that I can walk further than I did at the start with less effort. Walking among trees and on green (brown grass in the heatwave) grass by yourself provides a time of solitude to gather your thoughts.
The benefits of walking are:
It helps with weight loss which is important in midlife because being overweight can lead to complications such as Diabetes
Lowers the probability of cardiovascular disease
Helps increase bone health
Increases emotional wellbeing
Is a fun thing to do with friends, family or for quiet time alone
Happy Walking
