Author: contributor

Reasons why walking is a better alternative to driving

We all love the comfort that comes with driving and the numerous benefits it has. One of such benefits is getting to your destination faster than you would if you walked. However, have you considered that walking comes with some benefits you could never have thought of?

Below are some reasons why walking is a better alternative to driving:

Health improvement

Do you know that walking helps to improve your health? When you walk regularly, it is a form of exercise that helps to tackle stress, reduce calories and step-down the chances of heart disease.

If you don’t have time to exercise regularly, you can walk for some miles instead and still achieve the same results.

Appreciate road users and learn individual road responsibility

There are some things you will notice while walking, that you won’t see when you are driving. You will learn various things and understand better why people do certain things on the road. This is why walking helps you appreciate other drivers and road users.

Saves money

Walking instead of driving saves gas money that would be used to settle other expenses. Having walked to your destination, you can refresh yourself with fruits and water for energy. The money you spend on this would not be up to your gas costs.

Keeps your car in shape

When you use your car regularly, you would spend on maintenance and other costs. However, walking reduces this possibility. When you choose to walk to your destination sometimes, you are allowing your car rest.

Access to unlimited fresh air

When you are walking, you are spending time in nature which is good for you. This grants you access to unlimited fresh air that you might not get if you are driving.

You need to know that you don’t have to walk every day. However, it is best to drive on some days and walk on others. It is a profound way to reap the benefits of both walking and driving.

WHY YOU SHOULD WALK SOMETIMES INSTEAD OF DRIVING

There are some people who are so used to driving, and they would barely walk even if it is just a small distance.

There is no denying the fact that there is a great comfort which comes with driving. However, there are also some disadvantages which a good number of people are not aware of.

It is advisable for you not to drive every time, you can take out time to walk once in a while, as there are some benefits which comes with it.

To start with, walking helps you to burn calories. Not everyone is aware of this advantage, but it is very much true. Driving does not help you burn calories, rather, it helps you add to them.

Walking is a proficient form of exercise, and when you do this on a regular basis, you are helping yourself to lose or maintain your weight.

In addition to this, walking also helps you to strengthen your heart. When you walk for around 30 minutes a day, the chances of coming down with a health disease is reduced, and when you walk more, the chances are greatly reduced.

Do you also know that, walking helps to reduce your blood sugar? When you take a short walk after you’ve had a meal, it helps to reduce your blood sugar. You should also ensure walking is included in your daily routine.

Sometimes, if you want to have a meal outside, you can decide to commute to the place back and forth. Doing this comes with no harm to your health, rather, it is beneficial.

Walking also helps to ease joint pain, and being too comfortable in the car helps to aggravate it. When you walk, your joints, hips and knees are protected.

This happens because the muscles which provide support for the joints are strengthened and lubricated. People who have arthritis are also advised to walk more instead of driving themselves around.

In the long run, people who walk would discover that there is an enhancement in their immune function. Walking comes with lots of benefits, and they are hidden in plain sight when you drive a lot.

THE CONCEPT OF VEHICLE OVERDEPENDENCE

Vehicle overdependence is a term which people are not used to. Rather, it is an act which a good number of people carry out. This is basically a condition when an individual is totally dependent on their vehicle.

Currently, the health of the constituents of the planet is facing a downturn, and people make this worse by being reliant on their vehicle to cover small distances, when they can easily do this themselves. When the health of an individual is at risk, it is an indication that they do not undergo physical exercise.

Also, using a vehicle too much, contributes to the poisoning of the environment, as much toxins are released into the environment, which affects your health and those around you. Taking a look at the causes of pollution in the environment, vehicle overdependence is at the forefront.

This happens because of the release of carbon into the atmosphere. The toxicity which is present in the greenhouse, causes global warming, and it adversely affects the weather patterns of the earth, making it quite unpredictable.

Much reliance on a vehicle has an adverse effect on the health of people. As earlier mentioned, vehicle overdependence leads to lack of exercise, which leads to disease in the long run. Diseases such as stroke, diabetes, heart-related issues and obesity, are all connected to lack of exercise. It is not advisable to overuse your vehicle, as it prevents exercise, as there are still distances which you can still cover by walking.

In order to contribute to the fight against vehicle dependence, you as an individual need to be deliberate about your actions. First off, ensure that you exercise regularly, by covering distances which you can with your legs. You need to put into change your thinking pattern when it comes to how long it would take you to cover some distances.

You should look at it from the angle that, it is not going to have a detrimental effect on you, as some would term it stress. Rather, it is a way to ensure that you carry out some form of exercise. Doing this would ensure that you have a sense of responsibility as regards your health, and that of your community.