Why Walking is Good for You 步行的好處
Walking is a great way to get in shape without breaking the bank (it's free and you do it everyday). But there are other benefits to this exercise that you may not have realize. Here's some fun facts to encourage you to lace up your walking shoes.
步行是塑身的超棒方式，不花錢，而且可以每天進行。但還有一些你不知道的好處。看了以下有趣內容，可以鼓勵你係上運動鞋帶。
Whether you stroll, saunter, amble or stride, walking is good for you. In his book, The Lost Art of Walking, Geoff Nicholson extols the virtues of walking, and delves into how and why we walk. Besides providing physical, psychological and social benefits, this simple, free activity can transform your life, he suggests. Here’s how:
不管是溜達、漫步、逛逛，還是大步走，步行都有好處。吉奧夫.尼克爾森在《消失的步行藝術》一書中，大力稱讚步行好處，探究步行方式和原因。他說，除了生理、心理和社交方面的好處外，該簡單、免費的活動還能改變你的生活。如下：
Promotes Good Health
From a health perspective, walking is the key to managing weight, controlling blood pressure, and reducing the risk of a stroke, breast cancer, diabetes and myriad other ailments. A brisk daily walk lengthens your life, decreases the risk of depression and elevates your mood and sense of wellbeing. According to Harvard teaching hospital Beth Israel Medical Centre, walking lowers total cholesterol and increases high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or the “good cholesterol”.
鍛鍊好身體
從健康角度看，步行在以下幾方面能起到關鍵作用：控制體重；控制高血壓；降低中風、乳癌、糖尿病和其他各種疾病的風險。每天輕快走，可以長壽，減少抑鬱風險，提升精神氣，讓人感覺更健康。根據哈佛大學附屬醫院貝西.伊薩瑞中心的研究表明，步行降低總膽固醇水平，並提高高密度——即“好膽固醇”——水平。
Keeps You Mentally Refreshed
From a psychological viewpoint, walking offers an opportunity to clarify thoughts, to solve problems and to reduce stress. If you establish a rhythm that is relaxing and peaceful, walking can also become a form of meditation.
讓你精神好
從心理學角度看，步行提供了以下時間：理清思路，解決問題，還有減壓。假如進行放鬆、平和的步行，也是一種冥想方式。
Allows for Social Bonding
Walking regularly with someone else enables a friendship to blossom as the pair of you exercise. You can also schedule regular walk “dates” with your spouse or partner and use the time to discuss issues without distractions.
緊密人際關係
和別人一起進行有規律的步行，可以在鍛鍊中發展友誼。你可以通過安排好步行時間，和配偶或者伴侶進行“約會”；還可以不受干擾地討論問題。
Lets You See the World Around You
Also, the best way to explore some of the world’s great cities – such as New York, London, Paris and Rome – is on foot. Walking stimulates the senses and enables you to enjoy a rich engagement with life around you. According to Nicholson, the poet William Wordsworth circumnavigated the world seven times during his lifetime. Wordsworth reputedly delighted in the simple truth that “going for a walk is an invitation for surprise”.
看看外面的世界
遊玩世界上的大城市，如紐約、倫敦、巴黎和羅馬，最好的方式也是步行。步行讓感覺更敏銳，能讓你發覺周圍生活的豐富多彩。根據尼克爾森的說法，詩人威廉姆.沃茲華斯一生中環遊世界七次。“出門散步，來自驚奇的邀請”，沃茲華斯一直心悅誠服地相信這個簡單真理。
Here are some tips to get going:
Get a walking buddy and commit to meet each week at a set time.
Get a dog and you’ll have a constant walking companion.
Choose a location that is picturesque but accessible.
Start with a moderate walk, then increase the pace and distance.
Include some hills and stairs.
Use an umbrella if it rains: the worst that can happen is that you get wet!
以下是幾個小貼士：
1、找一個步行夥伴，堅持每星期在固定時間見面；
2、養一條狗，那步行夥伴就一直有了；
3、找個風景好、交通便利的地方；
4、開始步行要適度，逐步提高強度，增加距離；
5、要有一些山和樓梯；
6、如果下雨，要撐傘；如果淋溼了，那可糟了！
