What’s not to like about
walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s easy on the joints. And there’s
no question that walking is good for you. A University of Tennessee study found
that women who walked had less body fat than those who didn’t walk. It also
lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a venous pump,
contracting and pumping blood from the feet and legs back to the heart,
reducing the load on the heart. In addition to being an easy aerobic exercise,
walking is good for you in many other ways.
Walking is a recreational activity with
multiple health benefits to offer. Be it a morning or evening walk, this simple
physical activity seems to be quite underrated. Whether you are going
experiencing stress or anxiety or just want to change your view, going for a
walk every day can serve many purposed. Firstly, it can make up for your daily
required physical activity, which may have drastically reduced during this
lockdown. Secondly, it can help you get closer to nature and clear your mind of
the multiple thoughts that cause stress and low mood.
The Benefits of Walking
1. Improve Circulation
Walking wards off heart
disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the
heart. Post-menopausal women who walk just one to two miles a day can lower
their blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks. Women who walk 30 minutes
a day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20%, and by 40% when they stepped up
the pace, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in
Boston.
2. Shore Up Your Bones
Walking can stop the loss of
bone mass for those with osteoporosis, according to Michael A. Schwartz, MD, of
Plancher Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in New York. In fact, one study of
post-menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their
risk of hip fractures by 40%.
3. Enjoy a Longer Life
Research finds that people who
exercise regularly in their fifties and sixties are 35% less likely to die over
the next eight years than their non-walking counterparts. That number shoots up
to 45% less likely for those who have underlying health conditions.
4. Lighten Your Mood
Walking releases natural
painkilling endorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of
exercise. A California State University, Long Beach, study showed that the more
steps people took during the day, the better their moods were.
5. Lose Weight
A brisk 30-minute walk burns
200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped.
6. Strengthen Muscles
Walking tones your leg and
abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This
increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your
joints to your muscles.
7. Improve Sleep
Studies found that women, ages
50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia
than women who didn’t walk
8. Support Your Joints
The majority of joint
cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from joint fluid
that circulates as we move. Movement and compression from walking “squishes”
the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area.
9. Improve Your Breath
When walking, your breathing
rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through bloodstream, helping to
eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal.
10. Boosts immune function
Walking may reduce your risk
for developing a cold or the flu.
One study tracked 1,000 adults
during flu season. Those who walked at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes a
day had 43 percent fewer sick days and fewer upper respiratory tract infections
overall.
Their symptoms were also
lessened if they did get sick. That was compared to adults in the study who
were sedentary.
Try to get in a daily walk to
experience these benefits. If you live in a cold climate, you can try to walk
on a treadmill or around an indoor mall.
11. 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.
12. Slow Down Mental Decline
A study of 6,000 women, ages
65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, San
Francisco, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked
more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17% decline in memory, as
opposed to a 25% decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week.
13. Lower Alzheimer’s Risk
A study from the University of
Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that men between the ages of 71
and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence
of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who walked less.
14. Can help lower your blood
sugar
Taking a short walk after
eating may help lower your blood sugar. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of
studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb
cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in
stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce
cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.
15. It reduces the risk of
developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical
activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study
that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a
week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or
fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with
breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental
hormones.
16. Reduce the incidences of
disability
Aerobic walking and resistance
exercise programs may reduce the incidence of disability in the activities of
daily living for people who are older than 65 and have symptomatic OA, a study
published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management found.
17. 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.
Proper walking technique
Turning your normal walk into
a fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements. Ideally,
here's how you'll look when you're walking:
·
Your head is up. You're looking forward, not at
the ground.
·
Your neck, shoulders and back are relaxed, not
stiffly upright.
·
You're swinging your arms freely with a slight
bend in your elbows. A little pumping with your arms is OK.
·
Your stomach muscles are slightly tightened and
your back is straight, not arched forward or backward.
·
You're walking smoothly, rolling your foot from
heel to toe.
Make walking part of your
routine
Some suggestions to build
walking into your daily routine include:
·
Take the stairs instead of the lift (for at
least part of the way).
·
Get off public transport one stop earlier and
walk to work or home.
·
Walk (don’t drive) to the local shops.
·
Walk the dog (or your neighbour’s dog).
Try to make walking a routine
– for example, try to walk at the same time each day. Remember, you use the
same amount of energy, no matter what time of day you walk, so do what is most
convenient for you. You may find that asking someone to walk with you will help
make it a regular activity. Some people find that keeping an activity diary or
log also makes it easier.
Walking for Health
Experts agree that any amount
of walking is good for you, but to get the maximum benefits of walking, you
need to log some mileage and increase your intensity.
The minimum prescription for
good health is 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking, five days per week.
More is better, but you can get a significant portion of the health benefits of
walking even with just that moderate amount.
Here are five research-backed
ways to sneak more steps into every day—as well as get the most out of every
step you take.
1. Walk as much as you can. The
10,000-steps (or about 5 miles) goal is thought to be a realistic minimum, and
it’s good, but for complete risk reduction, people should aim for more. Walking
15,000 steps per day can lead to greater benefits — for healthy BMIs, smaller
waists, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and better blood sugar control.
2. Pick up the pace. Another
way to get more out of even a shorter walk is to do it faster. Those who had a
faster stepping rate had similar health outcomes—lower BMI and lower waist
circumference—as those who took the most steps per day. Doctors recommend
trying for a minimum of 100 steps per minute (roughly 2.5 to 3 miles per hour)
or as brisk a pace as you can (135 steps per minute will get you up to about a
4 mph pace).
3. Break it up. You cannot
accumulate 15,000 steps in leisure time only. But if you take walking breaks
throughout the day, it is doable. Aim for brisk walking bouts of 10 minutes or
more at a time. You’ll get in more steps and decrease the amount of time you
spend being sedentary—which is a big risk factor for heart disease.
4. Try intervals. Instead of
doing an entire 30-minute walk at the same moderate pace, try high-intensity
interval training. Alternate between 30-second to 1-minute bursts of faster
walking, followed by a minute or two of slower-paced recovery.
5. Take it uphill. Think of it
as getting two for one. When you increase your intensity, such as walking up a
steep hill, you get the equivalent benefit in half the time.
Stay motivated
Starting a walking program
takes initiative. Sticking with it takes commitment. To stay motivated:
Set yourself up for success.
Start with a simple goal, such as, "I'll take a 5- or 10-minute walk
during my lunch break." When your 5- or 10-minute walk becomes a habit,
set a new goal, such as, "I'll walk for 20 minutes after work."
Find specific times for walks.
Soon you could be reaching for goals that once seemed impossible.
Make walking enjoyable. If you
don't like walking alone, ask a friend or neighbor to join you. If you're
energized by groups, join a health club or walking group. You might like
listening to music while you walk.
Vary your routine. If you walk
outdoors, plan several different routes for variety. If you're walking alone,
tell someone which route you're taking. Walk in safe, well-lit locations.
Take missed days in stride. If
you find yourself skipping your daily walks, don't give up. Remind yourself how
good you feel when you include physical activity in your daily routine, and
then get back on track.
Once you take that first step,
you're on the way to an important destination — better health.
Walking Benefits: 30 Minutes
Of Daily Walk Can Provide You With These 5 Long Lasting Benefits
When is the best time to walk?
While getting some exercise at
any point in the day is good, choosing the best time can help you make the most
out of your regimen. When it comes to walking, mornings are the best time.
There is less pollution in the air, which allows you to get an adequate amount
of oxygen and fresh air. The cool and fresh morning air also helps you feel
more active and energized.
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.
Distractions and schedule interruptions are fairly uncommon at the start of your day. This can help you make a habit of early morning walks easily. Walk your way to good health by developing a habit of regular morning walks. Stay consistent with your schedule and try to skip as rarely as possible. Reduce your risk of chronic diseases, improve your mood, ease muscle pains and lose weight the healthy way. Morning walks are an amazing beginning to your day, so slip into your best pair of walking shoes, keep a small water bottle handy and ‘healthify’ yourself.
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