Of Course it Is! And Everyone Seems to be Saying So

Recently, over five days of the week commencing January 4th, the Daily Telegraph did an A-Z of Fitness. There was eveything from running to swiming, WII Fit Plus to Zumba (Zumba? Apparently its a blend of Latin dance with aerobic fitness and body weight exercise) and a great deal more, much that I'd never heard of.

Of course, in an A-Z, walking came on the last day (Jan 8th) but it was worth waiting for. So what did it say? - "Walking has so many fitness benefits and can help with everything from gentle weight loss to cardiovascular disease (brisk walking strengthens heart & lungs). Try swinging your arms for greater cardio benefits".

Says it all really. Then, last Saturday, also in the Daily Telegraph (many thanks DT) there's a promotion offering a free 'Walks in Britain' guide for every reader. They have teamed up with the AA who have published a new series of walking guides and on the front of every one it says in bold black lettering on a white background - WARNING! WALKING CAN SERIOUSLY IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH.

Wow! That's some endorsment for what walking can do. And that's just putting one foot in front of the other, many times. It's simple and perfectly natural - we all do it to a greater or lesser degree. Why isn't everyone doing it more, much more?

The 'Around Corby' Walking Festival on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd will give those who want to know more a chance to have a go and to speak with peple who can advise on a low key Walking to Health programme.

Incidentally, I saw on TV recently a man who had lost 35 stone. That's 490lbs or 222.5 kilos grammes - or put another way, just short of a quarter of a tonne.  He had actually lost nearlly a quarter of a tonne in weight and, I recall, he wanted to take off some more.

Crickey! But I bet he had to exercise and what better than walking as a low impact way of getting back into moving properly and gently improving health.