Walk your way to health this May
May is National Walking Month. With daily walks allowed during lockdown, many of us are discovering the physical and mental benefits that this simple exercise can bring.
Being active helps reduce your risk of developing a heart or circulatory condition, as well as having a stroke, developing type 2 diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Walking is a fantastic way to keep active as it is fun, flexible and free.
Dog walks are a great reason to get out and about
In addition to these amazing health benefits, here are a few more great reasons to get outside and walk:
- Feel more energetic
- Get a healthier body shape and appearance
- Control your weight
- Feel less stressed
- Increase your self-confidence
- Sleep more easily
- Enjoy your surroundings
- Save money
The organisers of National Walking Month have some top tips to encourage more walking:
- Get yourself a pedometer and aim to walk 10,000 steps a day. Start with one day a week, and build to 10k every day.
- Walk to the shops around the corner rather than driving, or get off the bus a stop or two early and walk the last 10 minutes to work.
The beauty of talking is that you can do it while walking so why not use the time to ring a family member or friend for a chat.
Motivate yourself to walk more by putting your equivalent petrol money or bus fare in a piggy bank each time you walk. Watch those pennies add up and treat yourself at the end of the month for being so active.
Get the best footwear
It is important to protect your joints when walking. Our Tango and Samba extra wide fit shoes are ideal for walking as they are shock-absorbing and have an exceptional level of underfoot comfort.
Rain needn’t be a problem as our walking boots and shoes for men and women are 100% waterproof so your feet stay protected whatever the weather. Choose from Minnie, Maisie and Moose for women and Stanley and Livingstone for men.
Our Maisie and Stanley shoes will keep your feet dry on rainy days
Wearing the right socks is just as important as wearing the right shoes. Our Coolmax® Seam-free Sock is a superb sock for walking. The clever fabric improves breathability and moves moisture away from the foot, so it evaporates quickly. This helps prevent odour and reduces the risk of athlete’s foot, sores and blisters and keeps feet at a comfortable temperature. The soft cuff gently grips the leg while the smooth toe-seam adds to the overall comfort.
Make walking more comfortable with a specialist insole. Our Shock-absorbing CosyCushion™ Insoles are made from a bouncy, cushioning material while our DuoSoft Plus Insoles are ideal if you have arthritis or very sensitive feet.
If your legs are weary after all that walking, why not treat them to some well-deserved pampering with our Gehwol Fusskraft® Leg Vitality.
Do you have a favourite place to walk? Let us know where in the comments below!