Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : October 30, 2017 5:14 PM IST
If you want to shed that extra inch of weight, you may just want to take a short walk purely for pleasure multiple times a day typically after meals. It is a common habit among Italians and they call it passeggiata. You will not find anyone with a speedometer and wearing a spandex during these walks. They do it purely for pleasure sometimes enjoying the sunlight and catching up with family and friends. Here are 11 facts about walking we bet you didn't know.
Benefits of passeggiata
A fifteen-minute walk after meals will improve your ability to regulate your blood sugar. The short walks taken during the day is as effective as one long one hour walk taken during the day so it is a genius when it comes to weight loss. Pleasure walks also does the trick of lowering your stress levels so your hormones do not go out of whack and you do not put on any weight. What s more, passeggiata can recalibrate your body clock and help you sleep better. It s a simple way to prevent the postmeal surge in insulin, aid digestion and stimulate metabolism without even feeling like exercise suggests a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [1].
Get started, it is easy
To get started, go for a 15-minute walk after dinner instead of just switching on the TV. After a few days, add another walk after lunch or sometimes in the afternoon. If you already workout you can use your passeggiata as a supplement to your normal workout routine. It can be like an easy stress relieving activity instead of a chore where you have to sweat it out. Here are the surprising benefits of walking a 100 steps after dinner.
I have got the results myself. I went on a vacation to Italy and all I did most parts of the day was take pleasure walks to explore the beautiful Italian cities. I felt much lighter and weight some kilos less when I got back from my vacation. I am sure it is the passeggiata which did the trick. Here is a picture of me after a tiresome day of walking in Italy!
Reference:
[1] Sacks, F. M., Bray, G. A., Carey, V. J., Smith, S. R., Ryan, D. H., Anton, S. D., Williamson, D. A. (2009). Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360(9), 859 873. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748
Image source: Shutterstock Images
