How a little bit of walking has made a huge difference

Westfield Health's Walking Lunch Campaign is in full swing now. The idea is to get as many of us out walking during our lunch break over the month of May. I have been doing this for the last 4 weeks and I can 100% say I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and hope to continue throughout spring, summer and autumn (maybe not winter - I am not a fan of the cold!).

Gorgeous blue skies captured during one of my lunchtime walks

Walking for just 20 minutes every day has had countless benefits including:-

Weight Loss

I weighed myself after 2 weeks of walking every day plus a few other minor changes and was delighted to find that I'd lost 7lbs! Woohoo! I have another weigh in on Tuesday so check back to my Life As Mrs R Facebook page if you are keen to see if I have lost anymore. Fingers crossed I have. I managed to squeeze into a pair of trousers that were a huge 3 sizes smaller than what I'd normally buy this week. Yes they were tight but WOW what an achievement. 

Mindfulness

Nothing beats a quick walk to help you really take in your surroundings. It's the perfect time to appreciate blue skies, feel the rain on your face, listen to the birds sing and follow bumble bees as they collect nectar. Walking has definitely helped me to stay mindful which is a pretty nice state to be in.

Happiness

There's no doubt about it, walking every day has definitely increased my happiness. Just getting outside, breathing in some fresh air and saying hello as I pass others doing the same has really lifted my spirits when I've been stuck at a desk all morning. 

Encourages me to do more

As I've realised that walking for just 20 minutes every day has had so many benefits, I've wanted to do more. I've made the effort to walk 10k a couple of days through the week and have been on long walks with Steve and the kids over the weekend when we would have normally taken the car or used public transport. Counting the steps using a pedometer/map my walk/fit bit really helps too as you can visually see how much you are achieving and how many calories you've burned which is slightly addictive!

Gives my eyes a break

I'm pretty sure that staring at a computer screen for hours on end isn't good for me. If I was in a work place it would be compulsory for me to take a break during the day and forcing me to have some screen free time during the day definitely is a good habit to get into. 

Time to think

There is a reason people take a walk when they need time to think - I have found that time away from technology and to just allow my mind to think freely has done wonders for my creativity. Walking for 20 minutes has allowed me time to organise my thoughts and when it's time to get back in the office I am usually a lot more productive. 

It's a mini digital-detox

Being tied to a computer/social media 24/7 is not good for anyone's mental health. I might take my camera out to capture a pretty flower or blue sky to share on Instagram later but that's it. There is no Facebook, access to email, Twitter or blogging when I'm walking. All electronics stay firmly out of reach and I like it.

Makes me feel good about myself

You might think that walking for 20 minutes isn't really enough to achieve anything but I usually burn over 100 calories and cover over a mile. It all adds up and when you see your number of steps rising and you beat your distance covered record you can't help but smile and feel proud of your achievement. If you walk for one mile ever day for 30 days you will cover over 30 miles and burn over 3000 calories. Amazing!

I'm healthier

Regular walking has been proven to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type II diabetes, asthma, stroke and some cancers. Although I still have a long way to go, I definitely feel fitter and more active. 

What are you waiting for? Walking is fun, free and easy and in my opinion is perfect if you want quick results and are short on time. Please check out my other posts following my journey:-

• Walking For Happiness
• Our Family Health & Fitness Goals for 2016
• Will a 20 minute lunchtime walk make a difference? 
• 5 tips for adding daily walking into your routine
• My favourite short walks in the North East
• It's Time For Change
• Weigh in Number One

You can sign up for Westfield Health's Walking Lunch Campaign here (it's FREE) and follow #WHWalkingLunch across social media to join in with others taking part.