Walking can help you move from point A to point B, allowing you to run various errands cost-free. Walking has been overlooked by many exercise enthusiasts and is considered a lazy way to lose weight.
Nevertheless, daily walking has numerous health benefits, including maintaining overall health. Did you know that 30 minutes of daily walking will strengthen your bones, enhance cardiovascular fitness, reduce excess body fat, and boost your endurance and muscle power?
Some people think that training and physical activities need to be sweaty, vigorous, and done for long to realize health benefits. This philosophy is propagated by proponents of no pain, no gain. However, some studies on inactive women showed that spending 75 minutes weekly on low-level exercise significantly improved these women’s fitness levels.
Walking is an excellent way to exercise. It is mild to the body, can be done any time, and requires no equipment. You can choose your pace without worrying about sour muscles, oxidative stress, and inflammation build-up.
Obese, overweight, or older people might find running or weight training unbearable, but walking is an easy way to introduce exercise into their lives. You can also begin walking to slowly reintroduce your muscles to exercise if you are out of shape.
You can walk alone, choose a partner, or join a club to make walking a fun and social part of your routine.
Walking is gaining popularity with many busy people because it can easily fit into their schedule. Doctors also recommend walking to pregnant women who cannot do hardcore workouts. Women who head this advice have fewer complications giving birth.
Before we discuss the health benefits of walking, let’s bring you up to speed with tips to keep in mind before you begin walking away.
Tips to remember when walking
You may think that walking is straightforward – a matter of putting one leg forward. However, not everybody can find safe sidewalks, parks, and green spaces, meaning that walking could pose a challenge for some people.
Safety can be a concern in some communities, thus affecting the time one walks and the place they can go. These concerns affect how an individual handles outdoor exercise and walks.
Others are also concerned about the risk of injury, which you can solve by purchasing proper-fitting shoes. When choosing walking shoes, ensure they are comfortable with an allowance to wiggle your toes.
If you are walking in the evenings or early in the morning, you could wear reflective gear to allow the motorist to see you. You want to keep fit by walking and staying safe on the road.
Is walking considered cardio?
Yes, walking is regarded as a cardiovascular exercise good for your heart health. Walking will undoubtedly raise your heart rate, especially climbing a few hills or walking on elevated grounds.
How long should I walk?
The distance you walk and the time you take are up to an individual. It can range from short strolls around the neighborhood to long-distance walking. Listen to your body when deciding how long to walk. If your body craves movement, you could walk for an hour. Walking short or long distances can give you the mental clarity needed for increased productivity.
You can squeeze quick walking sessions between daily activities, whether your schedule is tight. Some people have also included long walks on their timetable to reap rich mental and body health benefits from this exercise. Here are the 10 benefits of daily walking to motivate you to begin now.
It improves your mood
Though a glass of wine and dark chocolate can elevate your mood from a rough day, taking a walk offers you a zero-calorie way to achieve similar results. One study found that walking for 10 minutes can put you in a good mood when you feel low.
You can attain better results if you walk through a quiet greenery park. Work stress, family responsibility, and the high cost of leaving are driving many people nuts. Unfortunately, the sedentary life amplified by work from home policy is doing no good. Families work long hours with no time to walk even around their compounds.
However, taking short strolls between work modifies an individual’s nervous system. The result is decreased hostility, anger, and negative thinking. You could also improve your moods when you walk with a partner, enabling you to feel connected and happier. Next time you feel stressed and anxious, take a walk and breathe some fresh air; you might improve your mood and outlook on life.
Walking is excellent for active recovery
If your exercise routine involves speedy runs, walking can help you with active recovery. Instead of moving from high-intensity exercise to standing still or sitting down, you can walk to keep your heart pumping and muscles warm.
On your rest days from speedy runs, you can do walking as an active recovery tool. For instance, individuals who practice HIIT exercise have some days they do not exercise. Instead of sitting or sleeping to recover for the next exercise day, why not walk to speed up the recovery?
The body often needs rest, especially from muscle-building exercises, but you can take up walking during the rest periods. This way, you rest while keeping your muscles involved.
It will help burn calories for a healthy weight
Losing weight is not only for runners and muscle tearing exercises. If you make walking a regular thing, you will realize that your pants fit your midsection. Daily walking will reduce your belly fat by improving how your body responds to insulin.
Do you want to see the result of burnt calories through walking? Take on challenging routes like hilly areas. You could also combine a slower pace with speed walking to improve your heart rate. An increase in heart rate and less carbohydrate/sugar in the body means that your body part will be broken for energy.
Daily walking will also enhance your metabolism even after the walk to burn calories and maintain muscle mass. You do not need to buy and install a treadmill; you can choose to walk daily from office to home. The beauty is that you will save on transportation costs and lose weight.
We recommend improving your walking pace for better results, even if these brisk walks are shorter. Some people have found alternating walks helpful, allowing them to combine a minute of brisk walking with a minute of speed walking for 25 minutes.
It can boost brain power
Several studies link improved brain functionalities with walking. In a study reported by the NIH it was presented brain scans from individuals who walked three times weekly for one hour, and the results showed enhanced brain performance, especially in areas linked to decision-making.
Another study also found that walking can enhance older women’s brain functions. Researchers explain that walking improves brain blood flow as your heart pumps faster, activating neurons. Increased blood flow to your brain will provide the grey matter with nutrients and oxygen.
One 2018 study reported by Frontiers in Public Health on 300 elementary school students showed those who took 10-minute brisk walks performed better on math and memory tests.
Some studies have also suggested that walking 2 miles daily can reduce the chances of older men developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by half. Those with Alzheimer’s have also shown improved brain health after just one year of daily walking. A brisk walk in the fresh air can spark one’s creativity and brain functions.
Our minds are the things that are most precious to us. They are something that makes us special from all other life.
Walking can help you manage several diseases
The internet is abuzz with blogs and videos discussing the health benefits of exercising. As you read these blogs, you will notice that walking is also included in the list, and for a good reason.
One 2016 study reported by the NIH showed women who walked for minutes daily for ten weeks had improved cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and other heart health biomarkers. The American Institute for Cancer also suggests that walking for 30-minutes five times every week could lower the risk of cancer in men and women.
Your immune system gets an excellent boost through exercise, but it may be challenging or dangerous to do intensive training if you are ailing. Doctors often advise those with chronic conditions to walk and improve their immune systems.
For instance, walking reduces fatigue from breast cancer treatment and helps with blood sugar control for people with diabetes. Brisk walking will reduce inflammation and free radicals, known for causing several health issues.
It eases joint pains
Walking has been used as a way of managing joint pains. A study published in 2018 by the journal Evidence-Based Practice suggested that walking can be used as a physiotherapy treatment for lower back pain. Another study reported by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine also found that walking for one hour every week improved the lives of those with joint pains by delaying their disability.
However, to reap these benefits, some experts suggest that we should maintain proper form. Most people acquire joint pains through lousy sitting habits. You see many people leaning forward because of years of bad posture.
Since many people are now working from home, they may be using unsuitable working chairs. Sitting on these chairs for hours every day destroys their postures and creates injuries.
To help offset the strain on your joints, you could try rolling your body with foam rollers, therapy balls, and other self-massage tools. You can also do some warm-ups with moves like lunges, squats, and forward folds after a few hours of sitting. Ensure you take regular walks after work if you work from home to exercise your joints.
It can improve your balance
The problem of falling is not for older adults only. Today, you see people in their 20s, and 30’s walking bend as if they are carrying heavy loads. Sometimes it is challenging to recognize changes in our coordination and balance.
Walking may seem unprofitable and straightforward, but it helps to build strength. It also challenges your nervous system and brain to work at keeping you upright. As you walk through various terrains, such as on the rocks, gravel, and grass, you are required to navigate your path. This navigation to find your way is vital for your long-term wellness and health.
Long hours of sitting and living a sedentary life will only do a disservice to your balance and posture. Therefore, make it your aim to walk every day or join others on various adventures like hiking and camping.
Walking can improve your sleep
If you perform regular workout, you will improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Exercise boosts your melatonin levels, a hormone responsible for rest. One 2019 study reported by the Oxford Academic found that postmenopausal women who engaged in light physical activities slept better than their partners with sedentary lives.
Another study on healthy adults found that participants who walked daily improved their sleep length and quality. Walking also acts as therapy in reducing the effects of stress and pain, which are sleep inhibitors.
It helps delay varicose veins
Varicose vein becomes more prevalent as individuals get older, but you can prevent them from appearing early by walking. The vein system has a circulatory section called the second heart.
This second heart includes the veins, muscles, and valves, working to push blood from the body to the heart and lungs. Walking helps to strengthen the secondary heart by preserving the muscles and valves.
Those who suffer from varicose veins can also benefit from daily walking. You will experience reduced restlessness and swelling in your legs. If genetics predisposes you to varicose veins, regular walking can delay them.
Helen Baumeister did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
