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Active Adult Living

Benefits of Walking

When I retired, I got into walking. First at the Senior Center where Don, Lamont and I walked at 8am on MWF. It was great reason to get out of the house and get going. It was social walking as we talked most of the way. We met at Newtown Park’s walking trail which is a loop a little over one mile.  We did three loops in about 50 to 60 minutes.

For the last two years I got into competitive race walking which at age 68 is challenging but very rewarding also.

Hiking or Walking: According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a steady routine of walking can greatly reduce the chances of disability at old age. Walking or hiking also helps prevent or manage certain conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure, and can be done with your friends or significant other in remote areas of nature.

So since I am such an experienced walker (isn’t everyone?) , for today’s posts I am going to list some benefits of walking.

  1. Gets you out of the house
  2. You get to see the sky, feel the weather and observe nature which makes you feel more alive.
  3. You also observe other things you will never see from a car.
  4. You can walk just about anywhere,but a neighbor park like we did was great or just in your neighborhood. Just stay away from busy roads.
  5. If you walk with someone or in a small group, it is a great way to socialize.
  6. Solo walking gives you time to clear your mind and think if you want to.
  7. As you walk, waive or say Hello or Good Mornings to those who you see especially other walkers and running. Stop a moment to chat.
  8. You will feel better.
  9. You can challenge  yourself after you have been walking for awhile to either go farther or faster or both.
  10. Walking a few times a week or everyday gives you an activity to look forward to.
  11. Lose weight and get heart healthy. This probably should be reason number one.
  12. It’s cheap and easy to start.

Those are the benefits of walking I though of. Here are 12 Benefits of Walking from the Arthritis Foundation which lists some things I didn’t think of.

I will put my thinking cap on and come up with a future post about “How to Walk” and/or  “Walking Tips”.

So get off that computer and go outside and walk!

By Robert Fowler

Robert Fowler is President of Retirement Media Inc. and publisher of 55CommunityGuide.com. Robert and his wife Mary Ann live at Village at Deaton Creek, a Del Webb Community in North Georgia. Robert has visited many 55+ Active Adult Communities and blogs about Active Adult Community Living.