- November 12, 2021
The Benefits of Walking
10 BENEFITS OF WALKING
What are the Benefits of Walking? Well let’s start with walking is the perfect exercise for everyone regardless of their age, shape, weight, or ability. The list of benefits from walking is longer than you might expect. Your body reacts quickly to walking, and you burn excess body fat, reduce inches all over, melt away muffin tops, sculpt and lift the butt, tone the thighs, and narrow the waist. And you can wave goodbye to bingo wings. Even more important are the many other benefits to your health, fitness, weight and ageing that walking provides.
So let’s look at these in a little more detail, starting with health, which is the most important. Regular walking can help to prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic illness, obesity, strokes, depression, and even some cancers. Read on to see how walking positively affects your health.
THE BENEFITS OF WALKING
1: Strengthens the Heart
When we walk, we strengthen the most important muscle in our body-our heart. The stronger the heart becomes, the more effectively it works. The heart’s job is to pump blood throughout the body. When a heart is weak (which can be due to lack of exercise), it becomes less effective at pumping blood. A good analogy I use is to imagine a foot pump that you are using to blow up an inflatable bed. If the pump is not very effective, you are going to have to pump it up and down lots of times for it to fill the bed. Yet if the pump is powerful and strong, just a few pumps will push in lots of air but with less effort. You want your heart to be a powerful pump so that with each pump it pushes blood through your system efficiently. The other benefit is that a strong blood flow keeps the arteries flushed and helps prevents them from narrowing, meaning you lower the risk of high blood pressure. The more effectively your heart pumps, the more oxygen it supplies to your body and then you feel less out of breath and have more energy.
2: Reduces Cholesterol
Walking can help lower cholesterol levels in several ways: Helps increase HDL cholesterol: Walking can help increase your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps remove excess cholesterol from your bloodstream and transport it to your liver, where it can be broken down and eliminated from your body. Reduces LDL cholesterol: Walking can also help lower your levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries and contribute to the development of heart disease. Helps with weight management: Walking regularly can also help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight, which can help lower your cholesterol levels. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for high cholesterol. Improves insulin sensitivity: Walking can also help improve insulin sensitivity, which is important for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Insulin resistance is a risk factor for high cholesterol. Improves overall cardiovascular health: Walking is a form of aerobic exercise that can help improve the health of your heart and blood vessels. Regular aerobic exercise can help lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions. Overall, incorporating regular walking into your exercise routine can help lower your cholesterol levels and improve your overall cardiovascular health
3: Prevents Osteoporosis
Yes, walking can help prevent osteoporosis, which is a condition characterized by weakened bones that are more prone to fracture. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which means it requires your bones to support your body weight against gravity. This type of exercise can help stimulate the growth of new bone tissue and improve bone density, which can help prevent osteoporosis. Walking can also help improve balance and coordination, which can help reduce the risk of falls and fractures, particularly in older adults. Falls are a common cause of fractures in people with osteoporosis, so improving balance and coordination through exercise can be an important component of osteoporosis prevention.In addition to walking, other weight-bearing exercises such as dancing, hiking, and jogging can also be beneficial for preventing osteoporosis. It’s important to speak with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine, especially if you have a history of osteoporosis or other medical conditions that may affect your bone health.
4: Prevents Obesity
Walking is a terrific way to keep your weight down and help prevent obesity, which also can lead to diabetes and other diseases. Simply put, when we walk, we use energy known as calories, and this is how we can stay in shape. Nowadays, obesity is a huge problem, and the reason is simple. People move less and eat more! If we sit all day-at the desk, in the car, shopping online-the body is not using energy, so it won’t be burning calories. Instead, we start storing calories and gaining weight, and this brings on a whole host of problems. But the good news is that by walking we can prevent all these health problems.
5: Lifts Depression
Walking can be an effective way to prevent or reduce symptoms of depression. Research has shown that regular exercise, including walking, can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Walking can help release endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals that can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a protein that helps promote the growth of new neurons and improve brain function.In addition to these physiological effects, walking can also provide a sense of accomplishment and help improve self-esteem, which can be beneficial for people struggling with depression.
6: More Flexibility
While walking is a good flexibility exercise. Walking involves a repetitive motion of swinging your legs back and forth, which can help stretch and loosen up the muscles in your hips, legs, and feet. In addition, walking can help improve overall mobility and range of motion, which can be beneficial for maintaining flexibility as you age. Regular walking can help keep your joints mobile and reduce stiffness, which can help prevent injuries and improve overall flexibility.
7: Faster, Stronger, and More Stamina
Every time you work out, you increase the fibres in the muscles, making them stronger and increasing their endurance. Your muscles can keep going for longer before they tire, and they can carry more weight as they become stronger. The results of this are that you will feel fitter, and you will also find that you walk faster.
8: Better Balance
Walking, especially when you are walking outdoors over uneven surfaces, is a terrific way to work on improving your balance. You’re naturally engaging what are known as the stabilising muscles, particularly around the lower legs, and this will lead to better
9: Manage Your Weight
So can you lose weight by walking? Yes, walking can help you lose weight, especially if you combine it with a healthy diet. Walking is a form of aerobic exercise, which means it can help you burn calories and improve your overall cardiovascular health. When you walk, your body uses energy to move your muscles, and the more energy you use, the more calories you burn.
The number of calories you burn while walking depends on several factors, including your weight, gender, age and walking intensity. This is a 15 Minute Indoor Walking Workout of mine which can burn approximately 200 Calories and the great thing is you can do this Walk at Home Workout in the morning and then later in the day. This is free and click here for this workout on my YouTube Channel.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that weight loss also depends on the number of calories you consume. If you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning, you may not see significant weight loss results even if you’re walking regularly. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet while incorporating walking into your exercise routine to achieve weight loss goals.
10: Turns Back the Clock
Believe it or not, walking can turn back the clock. Exercising helps promote the hormone that is responsible for fighting aging-the human growth hormone (HGH). In our late 20s, this hormone naturally starts to decline, resulting in the loss of plumpness and radiance in our skin. So, as we age, our skin texture and appearance start to change. This hormone starts to retire at the end of your 20s! People pay fortunes to have injections which contain HGH just so they can improve the look of their skin, but the good news is that you can re-employ this hormone, and we do this simply by exercise. Exercise stimulates the production of HGH. Your body will then be producing this hormone back into your system, especially when you are exercising regularly. The result is that you boost your collagen levels, plumping up your skin, reducing fine lines and giving you back the radiance in your skin, whatever your age.
What Else Will You Get from Walking?
- Toned Legs
- Stronger Core
- Lifted Glutes
- Increased Metabolism
- Stronger Bones
- Better Mood
- More Energy
- Reduced Visceral (Belly Fat)
- Better Health
- Boosted Confidence