Exercise
Copy Link
Benefits Of Walking on Your Health
Published on:
Nov 7, 2024
2Walking isn’t just a fun way to get from point A to point B; it can also be a great way to stay healthy! Walking can be an amazing exercise regardless of your age or fitness level. Here are the top 8 reasons why you should walk!
Increases Physical Health
Strengthens Your Heart
The more you walk, the better your cardiovascular health will be. Walking helps improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and keeping your blood vessels healthy, lowering the risk of disease.
Burns Calories
If burning calories is something you’re into, then walking can be a fun and easy way to do so! Although it changes from person to person, it usually only takes around 2,000 steps to burn 100 calories. Walking faster and harder can burn even more calories. Going up stairs or walking up an incline can also be a good way to increase the burn!
Lowers Blood Sugar
A short walk after meals has been shown to help keep your blood sugar in check. Studies have shown that walking around after meals can be a big help in lowering your post-snack sugar spikes! This is because walking after a meal can help your body manage glucose more efficiently, which also leads to a lower chance of diabetes.
Boosts Immune System
Your immune system loves regular exercise, and walking can do just that! Some research suggests that a daily walk or two can help lower your chances of catching common illnesses like the flu. It helps your body fight off pesky invaders and keeps your defenses strong.
Eases Joint Pain
Walking helps keep those joints of yours in healthy condition, and can also help increase muscle strength in the areas around the knees and hips. It can be a good way to potentially help manage arthritis pain and stiffness.
Strengthens Bones and Muscles
Walking doesn’t just help your joints, it also greatly improves your muscle and bone health as well! Research shows that consistent walking helps improve bone density. This can be very important in lowering the risk of certain bone diseases that may come with age. Enough walking can also help target muscles in your legs, core, and even some in your arms if you’re swinging them as you walk. Over time, this can also lead to better posture, improved balance, and better physical performance in plenty of other areas. Walking can be especially beneficial to older adults where walking can help keep you stay strong and less prone to bad falls.
Boosts Mental Health
Increases Energy
Walking has been shown as a good way to combat fatigue. Getting a good walk in the morning helps oxygen flow and hormone levels to help you lower stress and stay energized.
Improves Mood
Some studies have shown that walking can help decrease anxiety, depression, and negative thoughts in some people. Just half an hour a day of quick walking could make a difference! A quick walk can release mood-enhancing hormones, like dopamine and serotonin, which can help put you in a better mood!
Gets your creative juices flowing
Many people use walking as a way to help clear their minds and get some good ideas flowing. Outdoor walks, in particular, have been shown to help create a relaxed mental state. Moving your body can help clear your mind and help you come up with creative solutions to any problems you might be having.
Set Reachable Goals
For the average person, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following minimum exercise guidelines:
The guidelines suggest you spread out your exercise over the course of the week. At the end of the week, you should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week. A combination of both also works as well, though. Keep in mind that greater amounts of exercise can provide ever larger health benefits, but don’t overdo it! Even if you can’t do a lot of exercise at once, taking breaks and doing small amounts throughout the day can help too.
Start with simple goals, like “I’ll take a 10-minute walk after work” or “After dinner, I’ll walk around the block once.” Then once it becomes a habit, you’ll start reaching your goals easier and easier!
Tips to Stay Motivated
Sometimes walking can be a hard thing to do, so here are some ways to stay motivated.
Mix up your routine.
Instead of walking the same way every day, try some new things! Maybe walk around your neighborhood one day and then on a trail another day! If it’s too hot or cold outside, maybe try out some treadmills at local gyms to beat the weather. R
Use a Fun Step Tracker App
Using something like a competitive step-tracking game with your friends can be a fun way to help you stay motivated! For example, in Stompers, you and your friends race every day to see who can get the most steps, and with different powerups, you can pick up along the way that you can use to sabotage your friends or boost yourself forward, boredom will be a thing of the past!
Walk With Friends
If you get bored walking by yourself, try walking with some friends! Try asking your friends, family, coworkers, or a friendly neighbor if they’d want to join you on a walk if you don’t like doing it by yourself. There are also plenty of health, walk, and run clubs that you could join as well.
Plan Your Walk
Plan your walk beforehand to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time!
Bring the right shoes.
Make sure you bring well-fitted shoes that are comfortable to walk in. You don’t want to end your walk with any bad blisters!
Wear the correct outfit.
If it’s hot outside, wear something that’ll beat the heat and apply sunscreen. If it’s too cold, make sure to wear an extra layer or two to keep yourself warm! Some people also choose to wear a pedometer, a device used to track their steps. If you don’t have one, you can always use a free step-tracking app instead! If you’re walking at night, think about wearing reflective clothing and bringing a flashlight to stay safe.
Choose The Perfect Route.
Only choose walking routes that you feel comfortable with! If you think a certain route might be too tricky, it’s okay to choose something else. Keep in mind that a lot of large stores or malls could be great places to get in a good walk if you don’t feel comfortable walking somewhere outside.
Warm Up.
Always remember to stretch and warm up before a walk! You don’t want to get hurt because you forgot to warm up accidentally.
Proper Technique
It turns out there is actually a right and wrong way to walk. Here’s a checklist to make sure you’re doing the right thing.
Head facing forward, not at the sky or the ground.
Keep your neck and shoulders a bit released; you don’t want to be too stiff.
Relax and swing your arms while walking, with your elbows at a slight bend. If you’re trying to burn a few more calories, you can also pump your arms while walking to use a little more energy.
Your back should be straight and not hunched. You can also keep your core slightly tightened if you'd like.
You’re walking nice and smooth, from heel to toe at a comfortable pace.
