Why Walking Is So Important!

Why Walking Is So Important

Walking can offer numerous health benefits to people of all ages and fitness levels. It may also help prevent certain diseases and even prolong your life.

Walking is free to do and easy to fit into your daily routine. All you need to start walking is a sturdy pair of walking shoes. This is why we always add Steps (walking) into our client’s plan. Read on to learn about some of the benefits of walking.

So what are the benefits?

▶Well here are just a few:

Burn calories - Walking can help you burn calories. Burning calories can help you maintain or lose weight.

Your actual calorie burn will depend on several factors, including:

• walking speed

• distance covered

• terrain (you’ll burn more calories walking uphill than you’ll burn on a flat surface)

• your weight

Strengthen the heart - Walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by about 19 percent. And your risk may reduce even more when you increase the duration or distance you walk per day.

Lower your blood sugar - Taking a short walk after eating may help lower your blood sugar. A small study found that taking a 15-minute walk three times a day (after breakfast, lunch, and dinner) improved blood sugar levels more than taking a 45-minute walk at another point during the day.

Boost your energy - Going for a walk when you’re tired may be a more effective energy boost than grabbing a cup of coffee. Walking increases oxygen flow through the body. It can also increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Those are the hormones that help elevate energy levels.

Improve your mood - Walking can help your mental health. Studies show it can help reduce anxiety, depression, and a negative mood. It can also boost self-esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal.

To experience these benefits, aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking or other moderate-intensity exercise three days a week. You can also break it up into three 10-minute walks.

Extend your life - Walking at a faster pace could extend your life. Researchers found that walking at an average pace compared to a slow pace resulted in a 20 percent reduced risk of overall death. But walking at a brisk or fast pace (at least 4 miles per hour) reduced the risk by 24 percent. The study looked at the association of walking at a faster pace with factors like overall causes of death, cardiovascular disease, and death from cancer.

Creative thinking - Walking may help clear your head and help you think creatively.

A study that included four experiments compared people trying to think of new ideas while they were walking or sitting. Researchers found participants did better while walking, particularly while walking outdoors.

The researchers concluded that walking opens up a free flow of ideas and is a simple way to increase creativity and get physical activity at the same time.

Try to initiate a walking meeting with your colleagues the next time you’re stuck on a problem at work.

The takeaway

Walking can fulfil daily recommended exercise for people of all ages and fitness levels. Consider getting a pedometer or other fitness tracker to keep track of your daily steps. Here are some to check out. 

Choose a walking route and daily step goal that’s appropriate for your age and fitness level.

- Fun Fact Friday -
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