Walking your way to better heart health

Charles Dickens once said “The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy, walk and be healthy,” and if more people lived by this mantra, the world would be a better place.  Walking is no cure, but it can clear your mind of worries and fill your body with new health.

Did you know that just 30 minutes of walking each day can dramatically improve everything from your mood to your waistline? Walking alone or even better, with a friend, modifies your nervous system to the point that you will feel instant relief in terms of aggression and hostility make you an all-round kinder human being.

Walking at lunchtime means getting a dose of that all-important natural sunlight too. Natural sunlight will help keep your vitamin D levels up, boosting serotonin levels and fighting away Seasonal Affective Disorder.

If you’re not feeling very motivated at work, or lacking in creativity, a walk is likely to get those creative juices flowing again. Motivation comes from the fresh air and the self-satisfaction that you’re being good to your body.

Don’t just take our word for it, Researchers at the University of Birmingham have been able to demonstrate just how instant a lunchtime walk is for combatting stress, giving you motivation to power through your working day with more energy and focus. The Telegraph have looked into this further with fitness expert Dalton Wong:

“Getting outside and moving, and listening to nature, literally the birds and the bees automatically helps the brain to relax. It’s hard to be stressed in the park right? Taking yourself away from the working environment too allows you to focus on what you really need to do, as your mind and body naturally ‘resets’ if you like, so you automatically become more focussed and productive. On the physical side too, a walk outside boosts your oxygen levels, increases your posture and allows better blood flow, especially to your hips, shoulders and lower back, and there’s also the fact that natural sunlight, as opposed to false light, stimulates your brain and ups your vitamin D levels.”

The only negative taken from any of these studies is that some employees were worried that if they actually took their full lunch break, especially for a walk, then their manager might not like it. The thing is, if pleasing your manager means sacrificing your health, then you might want to take a long-term look at your priorities.