It’s National Walking Month!

Almost anyone can incorporate walking into their lives, it’s easy, simple and most importantly free. It’s recommended that you get 150 minutes of exercise into your weekly schedule; simply 10 minutes of brisk walking each day can contribute to that with numerous health benefits included.

It’s as easy as slipping on some shoes, opening the front door and stepping out. Walking keeps people happy, healthy and brings people together.

Other benefits of regular brisk walking can include:

• Improving the performance of the lungs, heart and circulation
• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and strokes, compared to those who are inactive

Ensuring you have comfortable shoes is important when walking, they provide that much-needed support and help avoid any blisters on your feet. When taking longer walks you may want to consider packing plenty of water, some healthy snacks, sunscreen and a hat.

Making walking a habit is one of the easiest ways to incorporate walking into your life. Simple ideas include:

• Walking to the shop instead of driving
• Using stairs instead of lifts
• Walking the kids to school on a regular basis
• Taking regular walks after meals
• Going for walks on your lunch breaks
• Tracking your steps and progress with a fitness tracker or your smartphone
• Create a motivational walking playlist to get you moving more
• Socialise more, invite your friends out for walks or join a walking group

What exactly is a brisk walk?

Well, the speed of brisk walking is approximately three miles an hour, you should still be able to talk, however unable to sing. Active 10 is a free app which can be downloaded to your smartphone, it will tell you exactly if you are walking at the right pace and can give you some helpful suggestions on how you can incorporate more brisk walking into your lifestyle.