Morning Walk: Proven Health Benefits Of This Simple Exercise Plus Useful Workout Tips
The startling emergence of chronic disorders including diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancers and arthritis nowadays, in people of all ages be it youngsters, middle-aged or the elderly, certainly shines the spotlight on the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. And physical fitness is one very crucial pillar to lead a vigorous, disease-free life, the other two being mental wellness and emotional stability.
Tabata Training: 5 Effective Exercises To Burn Extra Calories
The festive season is right around the corner and if you are looking forward to shedding those extra kilos for fitting into your new wardrobe, then this is for you. We all know that work stress and personal commitments often leave us with very little time to perform an elaborate exercise regimen.
Now, if you are looking to lose some weight and stay fit at a rapid pace, that too with a simple yet vastly efficient routine that you can easily squeeze into your busy schedule, then Tabata training is the ideal workout for you!
So, What Exactly Is Tabata Training?
Tabata training is, in fact, a variant of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) encompassing a unique pattern of cardiovascular exercises. It was conceptualized and developed by the renowned Japanese professor Dr. Izumi Tabata, in the late 1990s, for the expansive coaching of the Olympic speed skating team. Also read: 5 Cool Exercises To Soothe Your Muscles After A High-Intensity Workout
However, people at all fitness levels, be it beginner, intermediate or advanced, can easily perform this workout. Each routine in Tabata lasts only for four minutes and will thoroughly stretch your core muscles, improve your flexibility and build your sense of balance. Any type of movement, be it a squat, lunge or push-up can be incorporated into a Tabata sequence and the training course is organized as follows:
- Concentrated training for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds
- Repeat this for 8 rounds i.e. a total of 240 seconds or 4 minutes
It is no wonder then that Tabata is popularly referred to as the “4-minute miracle workout”. Well, go on and try these Tabata exercises today, that will guarantee that oh-so-fit and fab body.
5 Super-Easy Standard Tabata Exercises :
1. Jump Squat
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Stand erect, with your feet a little apart. Squat a bit to gain some momentum, then jump up high, making sure to land gently on your toes. Repeat for 20 seconds, rest, then resume again.
2. Lateral Lunge To Knee Drive
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Stand straight and spread your feet wide. Next, laterally lunge with your left foot and then shift your weight onto the right, lifting your left leg knee-high. Repeat this procedure.
3. Squat Thrust To Frog Jump
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Squat completely and then place both hands on the floor, extending your feet fully behind. Slowly retract into the squat and then do a frog leap, ensuring a soft landing on your toes. Perform this reiteration as per the 20-10 sequence.
4. Skater To Curtsy Lunge
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Keep your feet beside each other and then bend forward like in a curtsy. Slide both your feet to the other side in a motion similar to skating and then curtsy again. Repeat this technique for 20 seconds, gradually increasing pace and power to improve your calf muscles and get rid of cankles.
5. Mountain Climber To Single Leg Push Up
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Lie down on your front completely, raising your torso in a plank-like position by placing your palms on the ground. Bring your right knee forward, then your left knee and then do a quick single-leg push up. Do this recurring method according to the 20-10 timeline.
Superb Health Benefits Of Morning Walks :
Accelerates Weight Loss
Rampant sedentary lifestyles presently have led to a sharp rise in obesity and overweight people. Also, dietary restrictions are challenging to follow at all times. Taking a fast-paced walk every day as the first activity in the morning, no matter what foods are being consumed as part of the routine diet, aids in losing weight, particularly the harmful visceral belly fat. This preserves healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) and manage obesity and overweight conditions.
Improves Energy Levels
A lack of physical activity definitely makes an individual rather tired, with high levels of fatigue and lethargy. A brisk morning walk works wonders in stimulating metabolism, which is the breakdown of food components to generate energy, for performing routine chores at home and work. Moving the whole body constantly for 20 to 30 minutes every morning supplies ample stamina to carry out all types of arduous tasks for the rest of the day.
Prevents Chronic Diseases
Needless to mention, exercise is key to averting diseases later on in life. Numerous instances of diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and even neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, dementia, have been linked to an inactive lifestyle. The rigorous motion of the bodily muscles in the morning relieves stiffness in joints, controls fluctuations in blood sugar and blood pressure, improves blood flow to the nerve cells, brain and strengthens bones and muscles.
Uplifts Mood And Memory
Taking a morning walk daily significantly increases the synthesis and transport of neurotransmitters i.e. chemicals that relay signals via nerves to various organs in the body. This ensures that cognitive functions are maximal, with heightened intelligence, memory, rational thinking. Also, discomforting symptoms of depression and anxiety are mitigated by going for a walk in the daytime, vastly improving mental wellbeing, overall energy levels and positive thinking.
Promotes Deep Sleep
Insomnia is often reported by people of all age groups currently, due to hectic schedules at work and home, besides personal challenges and unhealthy, untimely eating habits. A morning walk is the best solution to combat all sleep-related disorders including insomnia, excessive snoring, sleep apnea. This is because routine physical exercise strains the body in the daytime and hence, sufficient rest occurs naturally at night and continuous, uninterrupted sleep is guaranteed.
Enhances Heart Wellness
A morning walk, a short jog or even running offers tremendous incentives for heart health. The active movement of the body improves blood circulation to the heart, strengthens the cardiac muscles and prevents conditions like hypertension, cardiac arrest, heart attack, atherosclerosis and arrhythmia i.e. irregular heartbeats. Going for a vigorous walk in the daytime for at least 30 minutes increases cardiac functions, improves lung capacity, averts breathing problems and respiratory illnesses as well.
Additional Workout Tips :
Rather than the evening or nighttime, take a walk in the morning, as there is less pollution at this time of day and the outside air that we breathe is cleaner.
Go for a morning walk before breakfast, as the basic exercise stimulates the digestive tract, for smooth absorption of food and energy metabolism.
Direct exposure to the morning sunlight helps the body vitamin D, a vital nutrient for bone health, immunity and mental wellness.