Walking is the easiest way to stay healthy and active. The plus point of walking is it doesn’t take into account any sort of age issues or fitness levels, it is equally healthy for everyone. Walking cures numerous problems of the body and may also extend the life span of an individual.
Anyone can easily add walking into their daily routine even if they have a busy schedule, it won’t affect their schedule much. All you need is to make up your mind for a walk and put your shoes on.
Following are some benefits of walking that you surely don’t want to miss out on:
1. Burn calories
Walking can help you a lot in burning calories maintaining weight. But your calorie burn count will rely on several points like walking speed, distance covered, the direction of walking, etc. One tends to burn more calories when walking uphill than on a flat surface.
2. Makes the heart stronger
You won’t believe what your 30 minutes’ walk a day can do for your heart health. Research says that Walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week can lower your risk for cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease by about 19 percent. And your risk can reach another low if you increase the duration or distance you walk every day.
3. Help in lowering blood sugar
Many people think of walking 3 times a day after every meal but they are not able to go for even one walk. This is because they are hardly familiar with the benefits of walking after every meal of the day.
A study has revealed that going on a 15-minute walk three times a day (after breakfast, lunch, and dinner) has a higher ability to improve blood sugar levels than a single walk of 45 minutes.
4. Help ease joint pain
Walking protects the joints (including knees and hips) by lubricating and strengthening the muscles that support them. So anybody who is suffering from arthritis can plan a schedule of walking around 5-6 miles in a week. It will eventually lead to a reduction in pain.
5. Immunity booster
Walking can reduce your risk of developing seasonal infections like cold or flu.
A study on 1,000 adults was done during a flu season. It included the ones who walked for an average of 30-45 minutes a day and who had a sedentary lifestyle. The one who walks on a daily basis had 43 percent fewer sick days. And even if the infection caught them, their symptoms were also lessened than those with an inactive routine.
6. Improve your mood
Walking can help in balancing mental and physical health. It can help lower symptoms of mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and negative vibes.
Try to adjust a 30-minute walk in your routine and see the difference yourself. Also, for those who are dealing with mental stress, try to opt for a location that is serene to the eyes. Walking at such places will help a lot.
7. Energy booster
Taking a walk when you’re feeling tired and lazy may be a more effective energy booster than having a cup of coffee. This is because walking increases the oxygen flow of the body, besides increasing levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. All this gives the body an energetic vibe.
8. Prolongs life span
Walking at a fast speed can extend the life of an individual. According to a study, if a person walks at an average pace, his risk of death is reduced by 20 percent. So, start having a pleasurable walk from today only.
9. Tone the legs
Walking makes leg muscles stronger. To gain more strength, a walk in a hilly area or on a treadmill that has an inclination is more preferable. Taking stairs instead of escalators or elevators might also help.
10. Creative thinking
Walking outdoors can help you shoot your neurons at a higher pace. It opens up a free flow of creative and engaging ideas. Pop up an idea of a walking meeting to your staff members next time if you’re stuck on finding a resolution to a difficult problem.
Walking actually seems to be a cure to not only physical problems but also to mental stress a person deals with on daily basis, given the burden of balancing between work and life.