IT'S one of Australia's most popular physical activities, but few people really know about its benefits.
Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to introduce exercise into your daily routine. Once you're regularly walking, you'll benefit from reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, improved weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and better balance, co-ordination and bone density.
Heart Foundation Walking has been encouraging people for over twenty years to walk with our free group walking program and our virtual walking community. We provide a social setting to encourage people to keep walking, and provide support and advice along the way.
From the ground up
Walking is also a good general exercise for our feet. When a person walks, the foot is put through its full range of motion, from the time the heel hits the ground until the foot lifts off with the toes.
Walking and exercising your feet on a regular basis not only improves overall foot health, but may also reduce the risk of injury and other medical problems.
The condition of our feet can provide an early indicator of common health conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and circulatory disease. For this reason, the human foot is sometimes called a 'mirror of health'. If you have any concerns about your feet, you should seek the advice of your podiatrist.
If the shoe fits
Finding the right walking shoe is key to ensuring a positive walking experience. A good walking shoe should have laces, buckles or elastic to hold it in place on the foot, and the heel of a shoe (the heel counter) should be fully enclosed, high and firm to touch. Look for a firm, solid sole that can absorb shock, and test to see that the shoe only bends where the foot naturally bends, at the joint of the big toe.
A good shoe shouldn't be completely flat (the heel should be no higher than 2.5 cm) and the toe box of a shoe should be deep enough to allow room for toes to move.
Get started
Heart Foundation Walking is free for everyone to join. Groups are located across the country, so you might have a group right near where you live. Alternatively, you might like to start up your own walking group - you'll be rewarded for your walks and will be provided with health advice, training and support. You can also sign up as a virtual walker and track your steps using our website.
Find out more at walking.heartfoundation.org.au or call 13 11 12.
This program is proudly funded by the Queensland Government.
