Walk Your Way to Better Health

Despite being a fairly underrated form of exercise, walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. It's low impact, doesn't require equipment or any particular athletic skill, it's cost effective and can be done at any time of day or night by the majority of people regardless of your fitness level.

Walking is particularly good for those who are worried about the risks associated with some of the more vigorous forms of exercise.

Research has shown that just 150 minutes of brisk walking a week can add 3.4 years to your lifespan as well as offering a range of health benefits by increasing cardiovascular fitness, bone strength, decreasing excess body fat, and increasing musculature and endurance levels.

Regular exercise, even a low impact exercise such as walking can also lead to better performance at work. Researchers have found clear relationships between walking and overall mood and energy levels. The more walking you do throughout the day, the greater your overall mood and energy. Exercise can also increase cognitive function, making it easier to solve tough problems.

Walking can also help regulate your blood sugar levels, preventing the dips in energy after meals leading to three thirty-itis which can leave you feeling sluggish and struggling to concentrate.

Following the completion of the 10,000 steps challenge, Monash Sport will be implementing a weekly walking group for Monash University staff members at the Caulfield and Clayton campuses.

This program will be launched at the 10,000 steps celebration held at Monash Sport. Registrations for the event can be found here.