Stamina
Brisk walking can increase your stamina. If you are not used to being regularly active, you may find it difficult to do brisk walking for more than 1,000 steps, but as you walk more frequently, your stamina will improve. It is, however, often difficult to measure improvement in a uniform way, as different people see different types of benefits. For example, after a while you may still only be able to manage 1000 step, but you feel less breathless at the end of it. Alternatively, you may be able to walk briskly for longer and feel less fatigue after exercise.
The best way to improve your stamina is to walk against the clock. Walk 1,000 steps, then measure the time it took. A lot of people find that, with doing the exercise regularly, the time it takes for them to complete the exercise either gradually decreases or stays the same but with the individual feeling less fatigued at the end.
1,000 steps roughly translates to half a mile, so if you aim to walk an additional 1,000 steps every day for a year, you will have walked the equivalent of an extra 180 miles, the distance between Big Ben and central Manchester! Studies show that getting regular exercise like this can do just as much to reduce your blood pressure as prescription medicines.
You could also try walking briskly for a consistent distance. You will again find that gradually the time it takes to cover that distance will decrease, or you will feel less tired at the end of your exercise, or even both!
With increased stamina you will find it easier to complete jobs around the house and in the garden, as well as increasing the time you can be active. What is more, increasing your stamina has a ‘snowball’ effect. At first you may only see small improvements but as you progress, your capabilities increase, which allows you to exercise more, and improve more.
Applications like Google Earth VR are beginning to use pictures of places in the real world to create a virtual environment you can walk around. This means you will be able to revisit neighbourhoods you grew up in, or a nostalgic holiday destination, all from the comfort of your own home. This is fantastic for people who are incapable of travelling long distances, but still yearn to experience the outdoors.
Furthermore, our ROVR treadmill allows people to move around in these virtual environments in an authentic way. Have an idea for where you would like to do your daily walk? Along Brighton promenade perhaps? With the ROVR, soon you can experience the feeling of being there and the benefits of exercising regularly.