People who walk everyday swear by the psychological and health benefits of this daily jaunt. Generally, people consider hardcore gym exercises, Yoga, Pilates, and Zumba runs to be effective only.
But the effectiveness of walking cannot be undermined. I also used to believe that though walking was easy to incorporate into a daily lifestyle, but was too light to be considered proper exercise.
Extensive online research with my HughesNet Satellite Internet proved me wrong! Walking is a serious business!
Did you know that around 30% of the adults in America walk for exercise? This shows that a good number of people are already aware of the benefits. Taking some time out for a walk will pay off big time.
And you don’t even need any special equipment or particular athletic skills to do it. It will boost your health in a number of ways.
A study reveals that around 150 minutes of brisk walk each week can increase your lifespan to about 3.4 years. So, you just have to motivate yourself enough to stick to the walk routine. You will thank me later!
Taking a regular walk is beneficial for both your mind and body because:
- It Manages Your Weight
- It Prevents or Controls Diabetes
- Get Your Blood Pressure in Line
- Reduces the Risk of Cancer
- Improves Your Mood
Let’s elaborate on them…
Table of Contents
1. Manages Your Weight
Obesity has become a global epidemic. And in the United States, people from all generational groupings are gaining stubborn extra pounds. Do you know that walking for only half an hour can help you lose weight?
People who prefer a standard and healthy diet along with some moderate exercise such as walk can maintain their weight successfully for years. So, if walking is a part of your life, you can prevent gaining weight. Walking is perhaps the best exercise for losing weight effectively.
It’s easy to do as compared to the strenuous exercises in the gym. And it is easy on the joints and bones too. You don’t need to go to a special place to do it and there are no specific timings. Start off with 20-minutes of brisk walk and then increase the time as your stamina increases.
Your ultimate goal should be 10,000 steps per day. You can make it interesting if you find a walking companion. It can be your dog too. Having a company can make this routine more fun.
2. It Prevents or Controls Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world today. Brisk walking is now recommended for diabetic patients. Because it helps in preventing and managing diabetes.
Medical experts say that 20 to 30 minutes of a brisk walk can immensely help in lowering blood sugar for a span of 24 hours. We have already established how walking can help you lose weight.
And according to medical experts, even a very small weight loss like 12-15 pounds for a person who weighs 200 pounds can help in delaying the onset of diabetes. Even if you are obese, adding the brisk walk to your daily routine is the easiest way to reach a healthy weight. So, get you comfortable sneakers on and plan your walking schedule.
3. Get Your Blood Pressure in Line
Studies show that a good, heart-pumping walking regimen can effectively help in lowering the blood pressure. A study also reveals that walking at modern-intensity is as effective as jogging, as far as preventing the risk of high blood pressure is concerned.
Interestingly, you can spread out the 30 minutes of walk throughout the day if you can’t do it in one go. Because, it is a scientifically proved fact that brief and many workouts are more effective than a single, long workout session. The small sessions are easy to fit anyone’s schedule.
4. Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Cancers have become so common as compared to the past. While we consider them one of the most complicated diseases, something as simple as walking can prevent it. Interesting! Yes, it is. Walking can actually reduce the chances of developing cancers.
Research enlightens that women who walked regularly were about 14% less vulnerable to developing breast cancer. Another study proves that men who recovered from prostate cancer reduced the chances of a recurrence with a brisk walk of at least 3 hours a week.
Improves Your Mood
Who doesn’t love a stroll and a breath of fresh air? A brisk walk in the nice surroundings can boost your mood immensely and social health. It can help avoid anxiety and depression.
A study in Portugal established that adults suffering from acute depression remarkably improved with 30-45 minutes of walking 5 times a week. They studied the effects of walking for 12 weeks when the medication was not helping.
It’s time to jot down a weekly schedule to get outdoors for a nice walk. You need an essential dose of Vitamin D and a nice mood boost to perform better in your life endeavors. You need to change your activities and lifestyle. Especially if you are a technology addict.
Even if your HughesNet speed is incredible and your gadgets are very fancy and addictive, you need to take out a minimum of 30 minutes to go for a walk.
Dipali is an enthusiastic health blogger and the founder of lifecares.org. She likes to share her thoughts to make people inspired about their fitness & social health. She is an experienced writer and author on highly authoritative health blogs.