Health:Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise/reader's digest

Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise Science shows that placing one foot in front of the other leads to some seriously impressive mental and physical benefits. You drag yourself from your desk to the gym, where you pop in some upbeat music and jack the treadmill up to 6 mph. Admit it, while your pounding out those three miles, you’re silently judging (even if subconsciously) the person walking next to you. What a waste of time. Why even come to the gym if you’re just going to walk? But experts say we’re unfairly placing the form of exercise in the “pointless” category. It turns out, you may be missing out on an extremely effective physical activity, not to mention a mental boost, by writing off walking entirely. “Walking can be as good as a workout, if not better, than running,” says Dr. Matt Tanneberg, CSCS, a sports Chiropractor and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in Phoenix, Arizona who works with elite athletes. “You hear of people 'plateauing' when they continue to do the same workout routine and stop seeing results. I see patients all the time that plateau from running, they will run the same distance, speed and time, day in and day out. You need to constantly be switching up your exercise routine in order to get the maximum benefit for your health.” Yes, running is more physically demanding, which leads people to label it a “better” workout. “While I would love to say that walking can be just as effective of a workout as running, I’m not going to lie to you. In fairness, the two really shouldn’t be compared against each other,” says John Ford, certified exercise physiologist, who runs JKF Fitness & Health in New York City. “Running, due to larger muscle recruitment, greater forces exerted and faster motion capability, will always have the proverbial leg up on walking." But while walking may not be a better workout, it may be a better exercise choice for some people. “With that being said, walking is a really good form of exercise and can help you reach your fitness and weight-loss goals. As a lifelong track athlete, who has marveled at race walkers (check out the Olympic walkers on YouTube!), I don’t scoff at walking,” says Ford. “In fact, walking is the suggested workout over running for many people. For example, those with knee, ankle and back problems and also for people who are overweight to obese. Walking is a lower impact exercise and can be done for longer periods of time.” And there is no shortage of scientific research to back up the effectiveness of adding walking to your fitness routine. by Brianna Steinhilber https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271 Reader’s digest: 9 Incredible Women You Didn’t Learn About in History Class https://www.rd.com/culture/amazing-women-in-history/