The general health benefits of daily walking have been widely documented and include healthy weight maintenance, improved heart health, improved sleep patterns, reduced stress and boosting mood. These benefits are even more pronounced when recovering from a workplace injury.
One of the biggest barriers workers often face after an injury is a loss of physical fitness and a general decrease in activity levels. Many injured workers report withdrawing from a variety of activities they previously enjoyed, leading to a variety of health issues in addition to their original injury.
Walking is an activity that is widely accessible to most people who have suffered an injury and can be easily adjusted to compensate for a variety of restrictions.
Exposure to sunshine adds the extra benefit of boosting Vitamin D levels which have found to be deficient in around 30% of Australians. Vitamin D supports bone health by regulating calcium levels in the blood and maintaining a healthy skeleton.
Walking also positively effects mental health with benefits including clearing the mind, increasing general energy levels, reducing symptoms of depression and boosting self-esteem.
Embarking on a 30 minute walk every day has even been related to an increase in natural pain killing endorphins.
So what are you waiting for? Start a walking program today!