How many of us actually walk to work?
It’s worth asking yourself, can you walk or cycle to work? If you commute and live far away from your workplace, we understand that it’s not always possible. But if it is, then you should consider making the morning walk to work part of your daily routine.
Especially if you are in a 9-5 office job and you are sat down for the majority of the day – leaving the car at home and walking to work can make all of the difference for your body and mind.
Here are our top 5 benefits of walking to work:
1. Improve your mental wellbeing
Get up and get active! It goes without saying that walking to work requires forward planning and an earlier alarm in the morning to allow yourself enough time to get to the office. An earlier start to the day that makes the most of the morning can improve your mindset and help you to feel organised and on top of your priorities.
Not to mention, having time for yourself with no distractions in the fresh air particularly in the warmer, lighter summer months ahead can encourage a positive and pro-active mood, which we think makes for a great start to the day.
Walking can relieve muscle tension and reduce stress and anxiety – think about it, we’ve all had those mornings stuck in traffic on a busy road with the radio on full-pelt on the way to work and it isn’t always the most motivating start to the day. Instead, make your day count and use the morning walk to work as a time for creative thinking and problem solving ahead of time.
2. Reduce your risk factors of obesity-related conditions
Obesity is proven to increase your risks of a number of health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers.
But by walking the recommended 10,000 steps a day, this can improve your overall health, promote a healthier heart and reduce your total body fat percentage lowering your risk factors for these types of conditions.
It’s also worth considering that when you have recently had weight loss surgery, whether that be a band, bypass or sleeve and are right at the start of your journey, walking is a gentle form of exercise which you can gradually increase over time as you become fitter and healthier.
3. Burn those extra calories
The NHS advises that ‘a brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.'[1]
It can’t be denied that walking to work is a really good way to keep your weight loss journey on track and hit your daily exercise goals. Our top tip is to create an upbeat playlist of your favourite songs, which can get you in a positive mood, take your mind off the effort if you find exercise difficult to begin with, as well as being a great motivator!
4. Save money on petrol
For most of us with a car, petrol is a huge and unavoidable expense each and every month – most of which is down to the daily commute to and from work. Think about how much you could save by cutting down on your petrol costs and how else you could put the extra cash to better use.
On the topic of saving money, it’s worth mentioning that you don’t need a pricey gym membership to lose weight and get active. Walking is free!
5. Reduce your carbon footprint
Just as we make conscious decisions to protect the environment when it comes to recycling and making more sustainable food and clothing choices. We often forget just how many emissions and toxic air pollutants are a direct result of owning a car – we’re not saying you need to give your car up completely but it’s 100% worth considering how you could reduce your footprint.
Ready for a new start?
We know that weight loss isn’t easy, especially on your own. When you’ve tried following a balanced diet and exercising and it’s just not enough, weight loss surgery could be the start of that new lease of a life you’ve been waiting for.
Start your journey towards a healthier you today! Together, we can achieve your goals of a healthy BMI, take the first step by getting in touch to see if weight loss surgery could be an option for you.
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/walking-for-health/