Rashid Al-Fouzan 

 Al-Riyadh Daily

 

 

 

Speed walking has now become part of my daily routine for six years. I am always keen to do it regularly without a break. Even though I am neither a physician nor a specialist in medical science, I am fully aware that exercise, especially speed walking, helps maintain health and lowers the chance of falling ill.

 

I urge everybody to speed walk on a daily basis, with one day off a week, or in the least to do it three times a week. I managed to burn around 17 kg of fat after taking up speed walking. This should also be accompanied with a change in diet. We need to reduce how much we eat and avoid junk food, sweets and carbonate drinks. Reducing the amount of food we eat in the evening by around 80 percent and increasing how much water we drink is also good practice. Overeating should also be avoided.

 

I urge everyone to walk at a speed of 1 km per 8.5 minutes. It will initially make you tired. However, over time it will become a habit and an addiction. There are lots of benefits in brisk walking and I do not wish to list them all. What I do want to stress is that it is a less strenuous and cheap way of exercising. You need to set aside one hour a day for speed walking.

 

 

 

This type of exercise will help you mentally, will also help you sleep and give you an appetite. It will make you physically fit and help burn fat. Several people who are diabetic have told me that they do not use medicine and control their sugar levels by speed walking in addition to having a balanced diet. Brisk walking makes you healthy and everyone can find time to walk. The problem is that some people do not plan their days and do not, therefore, find time.

 

There are health and social benefits to speed walking. It will help change our lifestyles, fight diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other illnesses. If we fail to burn excess calories and fat then we could eventually be hit with a serious illness.

 

Arguments such as “I am too old and obese to walk” do not hold water. People who speed walk will see the benefits within a couple of months. In regards to the excuse that there are no suitable places to walk, especially in cities, then always remember: Where there is a will, there is a way. You can always buy a treadmill, something I do not like for several reasons. Walking outdoors is ideal and it is best done in the company of friends.