George Meegan currently holds the record for Longest Unbroken Walk. He covered a distance of 1900 miles(3057 km approx) over a time span of six and a half years. He walked from the southernmost tip of South America to the northernmost of Alaska. Thus he became the only person to walk the entire Western Hemisphere.
As normal people, we can only dream of achieving such feats. Some might even question if it is humanly possible to do so. What would happen to us if we just kept walking? How long can we go if we keep walking continuously? What is the hype around long walks?
If these questions have popped up in your mind, Know more in detail.
Walking develops strength and muscles. Walking creates a healthy lifestyle. On a fine day and a well-built flat road, an average physically fit person can walk about 30 miles (48 kilometers). However, these are just estimates made by researchers and should not be mistaken for facts.
Most normal people can walk about 4 kilometers in an hour. After continuously walking for 8 to 10 hours, the urge to urinate and excrete and lack of sleep will hamper the body’s normal functioning. Your muscles will start straining, and lactic acid build-up will cause pain. Our spine also has its limit and can start paining after prolonged walking for more than 10 hours.
Deoxygenation and Dehydration are also major issues. Your stamina will start losing its edge, making it difficult for your body to stay oxygenated. Your body's water content will also fall, and Dehydration will cause dizziness.
All these factors will make you incapable of walking further. However, these factors may take several hours more to show effects. Thus, the maximum a person can keep walking without stopping is 10-15 hours. If someone walks 3 miles per hour, they can walk a maximum of 30-45 miles (50-70 km) without stopping.
When you walk, you carry your body weight. This is called a weight-bearing exercise. A few of the benefits include:
Walking has many health benefits, but too much of anything can spoil the experience and diminish its utility. It is not commonplace for average humans to keep walking for hours in a row, and such an intense amount of activity can prove detrimental to our health. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand the point after which walking might harm you more than reasonably.
You should not strain your body beyond its limits and must practice restraint to remain healthy. Ideally, if you are going for a long walk, it is recommended that you walk for about 2 hours or until you feel correctly oxygenated and can maintain normal breathing.
Long walks provide various health benefits. Your body and mind become healthy if you take long walks. Some of the health benefits of taking long walks are given below:
Yes! Walking for 1 hour each day can help you burn calories because it is a physical activity that may turn into losing weight. Suppose you want to lose considerable weight (more than 5% of your body weight). In that case, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises walking at least 300 minutes of moderately intense physical activity weekly. Walking for 1 hour every day may help you to meet that goal.
Moreover, many people lose lean muscle mass when they lose weight. Walking can help you conserve lean muscle mass, which can help you keep up your weight loss results.
When beginning an exercise program, it's crucial to slowly and cautiously build up your time and intensity if you have never trained before. A good plan for beginners is to start with not more than 15 minutes of walking at a relatively leisurely pace.
Then, add a few minutes every week, and build as much as 30 minutes of walking rapidly. Focus on walking at least three days a week to achieve the full benefits of walking. Additionally, to walking, you should engage in other forms of exercise, including strength training, flexibility, and balance exercises.
It is always necessary to gain some tips for beneficial purposes. Following can lead you to progress. If the benefits convince you to take long trips on foot, here are some tips to get you started.
Roads can be tricky. Sometimes you should avoid certain places, like not wanting to go through a particular street because the constant traffic irritates you. Such situations may demotivate you to keep walking. Rugged terrain like marshy land or a steep climb might also demotivate you from continuing your walk. Hence, planning your route according to your preferences is important to get the best walking experience.
You will walk long distances, and your feet will do much work. Therefore it becomes essential to equip yourself with the right equipment. Wear a sturdy pair of shoes with a comfortable insole. Make sure your feet get proper ventilation when inside your shoes. Always carry a water bottle and cap if going out in the sun.
Hydration is essential for walking long distances. Walking becomes an intense physical workout over long distances, and your body loses a lot of water in the form of sweat. Always carry a water bottle with you and keep sipping small amounts of water throughout your journey to maintain the water level in your body.
You often start with a tonne of energy, but your motivation starts to fade along the way. This prevents you from achieving your goals. You can add extra motivation to your endeavor by listening to music while walking or finding a companion or friend to walk the route with you.
Trying to accomplish a hundred-mile walk on your first day might be overwhelming to your body. If you fail to cover the distance, it might even discourage you from trying. That is why you should start with less distance and gradually increase the distance traveled as you become more experienced in walking for long distances.
Walking is a healthy habit to inculcate in your daily lifestyle. Its health benefits should not be underestimated. You should surpass the limits of your ability to walk. Motivate yourself to take up this healthy habit to better your life.
Walking is a safe way to exercise but beware of unexpected dangers. Here are some suggestions include:
Walking is an effective form of exercise. Doing so for 1 hour daily may help lose weight and other health benefits. Walking is a very effective way to lose weight because it helps you to burn more calories, mainly when you monitor your calorie intake.
Increase your walking routine to progress toward your weight loss goal. Shaking up your regimen can help you to stay motivated. You should walk as paper the body helps you with. Excess walking without proper guidance can lead you to many problems.
