Walking: Your Secret Fitness Weapon

Everyone has their favorite methods to get their body moving and blood pumping. And with the weather getting a little warmer in most places, there’s an even greater chance to get outside. We’re sure you’re all planning out how to get some serious cardio and jogging into your schedules. However, lower impact exercises shouldn’t be forgotten – especially for those currently on a Chef V cleanse.

As far as low-impact exercises go, few are as underrated as walking. Not to say that active people hate walking – it just tends to be something that we take for granted. However, there are many more benefits to walking than you might realize. We’ll cover just a few of them here.

Health Benefits of Walking

Is a longer or a shorter workout better or more effective? Should you workout very hard in quick bursts or stretch out your activity? Everyone has a different opinion. Really, the best workout is the one that you, personally, will actually stick with and not drop a few weeks after your New Year’s resolutions.

In this case of incorporating movement when juice cleansing, we’re going to hone in on a “long" workout here – the benefit of lengthy walks. Getting your body moving outdoors can have some surprising benefits, including the following.

Weight Loss

Even people who love walking as their preferred means of exercise don’t often think of it as a real calorie burner. Indeed, short walks may not produce significant weight loss – though they could help keep away weight gain.

There’s a lot of “secret" weight loss power waiting to be unlocked in walking. If you increase your walk times to just an hour or more, move faster, or stick to rugged terrain (think hills and steep inclines), the calorie-burning power of walking starts to get much more noticeable.

Of course, how effective walking is for weight loss depends on the person. If you have a higher BMI, it’s more effort to carry your weight around. This means that walking will actually cause you to burn more calories. Walking also gets your metabolism going, so it’s perfect for people who tend to put on weight quickly.

Heart Health

Walking isn’t just about burning calories. It also helps to pick up your heart rate and boost your blood circulation. A little walking around 30-40 minutes every day can go a long way toward improving your heart health and help get your blood pressure under control. If you’re getting detox juices and green drinks to target your blood pressure, why not throw a small but mighty walk into the mix?

Lung Health

It’s not just about the fresh air – but that’s a nice bonus. Just like walking gets your heart working that little bit harder, it gives your lungs some much-needed oxygen and exercise. In fact, many doctors recommend light walks to deal with inflammatory lung diseases.

Joint Health

Walking’s benefit on blood flow isn’t just good for the heart. More blood flow around your body means that more blood flow is going to the areas of your body that are heavy in cartilage. This connective tissue helps cushion the joints between your bones. Better support for your cartilage helps keep your joints healthy and stave off arthritis later in life. The movement of your muscles is also great for helping protect your joints from health issues. And just like getting hydrated with detox juice and green drink, walking helps make sure your joints are consistently receiving enough lubrication.

Immune Boosting

Boosting your blood flow also helps the cells that make up your immune system travel around your body more efficiently. This helps to ensure that your immune system is performing effectively. Exercise has an anti-inflammatory effect, which takes some of the hard work off of your immune system and lets it focus on fighting diseases. Plus, your immune system does better when you’re low on stress. And speaking of…

Brain Health

During a brisk walk, your body releases endorphins. These help reduce the stress-causing hormones in your body and can even help combat mild depression. Walking has been linked to improvements in mood and self-esteem. And that’s before we count the benefits of taking a break from work to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air. (If you walk with friends, the stress-busting benefits are even more fantastic!)

However, the benefit to your brain from walking could go beyond just reducing stress. Walking has been linked to improved cognitive function and memory as well.

The Importance of a Low Impact Workout

So, I think we’ve now established that walking is great. But this has a special meaning for anything interested in doing a juice cleanse. While you’re on a detox juice cleanse to lose weight, many exercises are a little too hardcore. After all, the point of exercise is burning calories – and when you’re on a detox juice cleanse, you’re going to be shedding those calories quickly.

Of course, exercise isn’t just about weight loss. You need to stay active to get your blood pumping and muscles moving, even if just a little. Walking is a great “low impact" exercise while tackling a detox juice cleanse, from the 3 day cleanse to the 7 day cleanse. While you could try something more ambitious, it’s always the best idea to listen to your body and only take on exercises that you feel comfortable with. Upping your walking pace is also a great way to segway into more extensive activities post-cleanse.

Of course, we’ll give more guidance on proper cleanse care with our cleanse instructions – so go pick the cleanse that seems right for you, and get started today!