WITH the kind of eating that most of us Pakistanis indulge ourselves with, it is no wonder that heart and other diseases associated with excessive eating are on the rise. Doctors have been shouting all across the spectrum of the dangers of gluttony. But have we been listening? Noooo.
Devoid of any exercises, Pakistani’s are on an average leading a pretty unhealthy life. And this promises to go on until we decide to do something about it. Since our romance with spicy, unhealthy food isn’t in a hurry to end the best thing to do would be find an alternative way of keeping ourselves healthy. I am talking about exercising, more specifically, walking. Of course the Internet is full of sites on walking and one of the few that I bumped into is Walking for Wellness http://www.walking101.com/ a web site dedicated to walking and all kinds of walkers. You can find here, walkers fast, slow-paced, novice and everyone else in between. Walking resources here include hints and articles. The one that starts with “we, as a species, have achieved a higher degree of sitting on our butts than any generation to precede us” is the one that really got me delving into this address. There are links to other resources for walkers and a few clicks here and there of items such as books and music that might help you in your walking activities.
Another site of great help is The Walking Site http://www.thewalkingsite.com/. Links here include those for beginners, especially those who are completely alien to the concept of using their feet for anything other than walking to the refrigerator to get something to eat, are a plenty. There’s Beginning a Fitness Walking Program here as well as an interesting, 10,000 Steps a Day links where it says, “Do you need a little motivation to get out the door? Try wearing a pedometer and gradually increasing your daily steps”. Now that sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
Find the nutrition, the motivation and the running gear needed to make the best of your walking experience, all here. The FAQs help you answer some of the basic questions like, losing calories and how does walking compare to running? Read it and get healthy.
For many people, walking isn’t just a source of exercise, it is an enjoyment, an activity that they take time out and plan months ahead for. A site for such healthy souls is Hiking Vacations and Walking Vacations http://www.walkingvacations.com/. Forget the motorized tours and indulging into shopping sprees. There is no downtown here to explore. All you have to do is pack your gear, get in touch with the people here and head off for the great walking adventure. From Ireland to Greece, including Morocco, the people of this web site help you to stay healthy and stay in touch with nature at its most unadulterated best. Walk and get away from the great noise of the manmade world.
A more health conscience site would be the Exercise Walking and Your Feet http://www.apma.org/sports/walking.html. Part of the larger American Podiatric Medical Association web site this link goes to great lengths in emphasizing the fundamental health benefits of exercise walking. “Metabolically, it helps control weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. A brisk walk can burn up to 100 calories per mile or 300 calories per hour”. Hey, these are the professionals talking.
Filled with tips on how to ensure a good walking experience, words to read here include Foot Care for Walking and Hitting the Road. Other links include Heel Pain and Other Foot Health Information. Walking is also greatly beneficial to those with heart problems, as this site emphasizes: “Walking improves cardiovascular fitness. As an aerobic exercise, walking gets the heart beating faster to transport oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the muscles. The heart and lungs grow more efficient with a regular walking regimen, reducing blood pressure and the resting heart rate. Walking is even a central element of medical rehabilitation. Recovery from many ailments, including heart attack, is facilitated by a regular walking regimen”.
Hey did you know that Hippocrates thought that walking was the best medicine? I didn’t either, until I clicked onto Welcome to Walking http://www.walking.org/. Other than a whole bunch of other quotes, there are articles, tips and even recipes for those who are all for walking. The site is the work of two, Les Snowdon and Maggie Humphreys who have been at the forefront of initiatives to promote the benefits of walking for fitness, weight-loss and long-term health. To this end, they have penned down books, almost all of which are available here on this site. And as Les likes to say, “I walk, therefore I am.”
WITH the kind of eating that most of us Pakistanis indulge ourselves with, it is no wonder that heart and other diseases associated with excessive eating are on the rise. Doctors have been shouting all across the spectrum of the dangers of gluttony. But have we been listening? Noooo.
