When you have a sedentary job, chances are that the data on your step tracker stay quite low every day. Research shows that the average person only gets between 3000 and 5000 steps a day. Getting enough movement is very challenging, but very important, too. After reading this, you’ll be convinced to integrate more activity into your day.
The benefits of walking
The health benefits of walking are endless. Even scientific research shows that just half an hour of walking a day reduces the risk of many diseases incredibly. But there is more: moving has so much more benefits than you would think. It is proven that adding short walks into your daily routine can truly improve your physical and mental health. Let’s sum up a few of them…
Concentration
Concentration
Walking on a regular basis stimulates the blood circulation to your brains, which leads to better concentration, less stress, and more creative ideas.
Blood pressure and flow
Blood pressure and flow
Moving influences the blood pressure in a good way. Besides, it improves the blood flow and oxygen supply to your organs.
Endorphins
Endorphins
Walking promotes the production of endorphins, which is one of the happy hormones. Logically, that means that it has a positive effect on your mood.
Coordination and balance
Coordination and balance
By walking, you improve your coordination and balance, which lowers the risk of falling significantly.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy
Walking for only 15 minutes a day can increase your life expectancy by three years. And the faster you walk, the more your risk of early death lowers.
Cardiovascular prevention
Cardiovascular prevention
Moving and walking enough offers prevention of diabetes (type2), osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.
Muscles and bones
Muscles and bones
Going out for a walk or moving around regularly strengthen your muscles and bones, and alleviates joint pain.
General condition
General condition
Another advantage, and maybe one of the most important ones: it improves your general condition and health, which makes you feel fitter.
Tips to get you moving
Integrating more moving into your day doesn’t have to be time-consuming or challenging. By applying these useful tips, the number of your daily steps will increase without any difficulty.
Organize walking meetings
Organize walking meetings
Nobody said that meetings have to take place sitting around a table. When you have an internal meeting planned, you can discuss your projects walking. Did you know that we average set around 3500 steps in just half an hour? Great, isn’t it?
Go to work by foot or bicycle
Go to work by foot or bicycle
For those who live within walking or cycling distance from work: leave your car in the driveway. When you arrive work, you will not only be wide awake, but you will also be much more alert. You live too far away from work? Walk to the grocery, or bring your children to the daycare by bicycle.
Ignore the elevator, take the stairs
Ignore the elevator, take the stairs
The lift is easy, but forget it. Take the stairs instead. This way, you are not only getting in more steps, but you’re also working on your health and stamina.
Make a lunch walk
Make a lunch walk
Lunch break is the perfect time to go out for a short walk with your colleagues, enjoy your lunch outside or go get some coffee. Stretch your legs, and free your mind!
In practice @ Discorp
At Discorp, we completely follow the philosophy of moving and the health benefits of it. That’s why we promote to stay active, also on working days. We regularly organize fun challenges, activities, or other initiatives among the team: we created cycling and running outfits, we organized a Strava challenge, we have a ping pong table in our office building… This year, our main focus is on De Roze Mars.
De Roze mars is a Belgian walking event, organized by Think Pink: an organization that aims to improve medical treatment for breast cancer and enhance breast cancer patients’ quality of life.
The goal of De Roze Mars is to walk at least 10 000 steps a day, during the entire month of May – in the fight against breast cancer, but for your own health, too, because a healthy lifestyle can prevent 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses. Using an online platform, you can track and register your daily steps.
In other words: participating in De Roze Mars is a strong motivation to keep moving, and to support this wonderful organization. It’s never too late to join the challenge. So, are you with us?