Walk your way to better health: 7 benefits of walking

We all know that it’s essential to maintain good health through balanced exercise and diet. But this is easier said than done, isn’t it? Most of us work full-time jobs and have multiple responsibilities and stressors that require our time and attention every day. This means that strenuous exercise every day may be a struggle. But what if we tell you that you don’t necessarily need to do 30 minutes of cardio or high-intensity workout every day to maintain your health and reduce your exposure to certain types of illnesses? You just need to walk.

Walking is a simple and accessible form of physical exercise that has numerous benefits for both the mind and body. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, walking around 10,000 steps daily can reduce your risk of multiple metabolic and cardiac diseases. While this number is dependent of your age, health and activity level, an average of 10,000 steps or 5 miles (8 kilometres) is an achievable number that you could aim for.

What are the benefits of regular walking?

Promotes heart health

Walking is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise that can help improve your heart health. It can increase your heart rate, improve blood flow, and reduce the risk of developing heart diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. It has been scientifically proven that walking can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, both of which are high-risk factors for heart disease.

Improves bone health

Regular walking is also said to considerably improve the bone and muscle health of your body. It is especially beneficial for those who are in the 40+ age bracket as it helps strengthen bones, increase bone density, and lower the risk of bone-related illnesses like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, thus decreasing the risk of fractures and brittle bones.

Reduces stress and anxiety

For many, walking is a stress-relief mechanism. Walking can be a great way to relieve stress and anxiety from your body. It helps clear your mind and promote relaxation by releasing endorphins or the happy hormones produced by the body. It’s proven that you don’t always have to speed-walk in order to attain these results. While speed-walking helps you better tone your body, even a light stroll or a simple walk around the local park can leave you in a better mood than you began with.

Easy for beginners

If you’re a beginner in the world of exercise, chances are that you’ve gone through your fair share of failed resolutions. Starting with more draining, demanding forms of exercise can lead to quick exhaustion, ultimately making you give up. Walking, however, comes with no rules, guidelines, or equipment. Thus, it’s a form of exercise that even those without access to gyms or exercise studios can do. Once your body is used to the exertion of regular speed-walking, you can initiate yourself into other forms of exercise or even register for local marathons or walkathons to take it up a notch.

Improves mental health and well-being

Ever heard of runner’s high? There’s also walker’s high. As mentioned earlier, regular walking activates the mood-elevating hormones of your body known as endorphins. These interact with and reduce the pain receptors in your body, making you feel lighter, more relaxed, and happier.

Walking has also been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, improve mood, and increase self-esteem. Regular walking can also improve cognitive function and memory, which can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline as you age.

Helps with weight management

Walking can be an effective way to manage your weight. If you’re older or recovering from an injury, walking can be a particularly great mode of physical exercise as it is a low-impact exercise, which means it is easier on your joints than high-impact exercises like dance fitness or athletics. This means that your rate of weight loss might be lower than that with other high-impact activities — but consistent walking will help build more lean muscle around your abdominal organs priming your body to burn more calories and, thus, shed more kilograms.

Enhances sleep quality

Walking can also improve your sleep quality. It can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, which can promote better sleep. Walking in the morning has your body more exposed to the natural light of the sun. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which is the body's internal clock that regulates sleep and wakefulness, thus promoting a better sleep cycle.

According to a 2019 study on sleep published by the popular science journal ScienceDirect conducted on middle-aged participants, it has been discovered that a higher step count directly improves the quality of sleep. More movement automatically leads people to feel more well-rested.

In conclusion, taking a walk can have numerous benefits for your mind and body. It is a simple and accessible form of physical exercise that can be incorporated into your daily routine. If you’ve got a mental block against exercise and don’t know where to start, begin by walking just one mile a day. Not only will this help you feel fresher and more active, but it will also ward off whatever worry you have in your mind, at least temporarily.

• Lifestyle
• UAE