Top 7 Health Benefits Of Walking That You Didn’t Know
People of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy several health benefits from walking. It is one of the many physical activities that doesn’t involve vigorous movements or special equipment. All you need is a pair of sturdy walking shoes, and you’re good to go.
Walking is easy to incorporate into your daily routine, and to make it even better, you can take short walks with your friends. That way, you’re having fun while also taking care of your health.
1. Burning calories.
Walking can help you burn calories and lose weight. Like any other form of physical activity, your heart rate increases when you walk, causing you to expend energy and burn more calories. The number of calories you burn depends on how fast you walk, the terrain, and your weight.
2. Walking is good for your physical well-being.
Taking at least thirty minutes to walk five days a week reduces your risk for coronary heart disease by 19%. Walking lowers blood pressure, strengthens the heart, reduces blood sugar, and reduces joint pain — people with arthritis can benefit from walking because it reduces pain by strengthening and lubricating the joint muscles.
Walking strengthens your muscles and tones them, especially the leg, abdominal muscles, and arm muscles if you swing them as you walk. To build more strength, take walks in hilly areas.
3. Walking is beneficial to your immune system.
Taking walks for an hour each day helps reduce upper respiratory infection. Walking helps to reduce your chances of getting cold, flu, and other immune-related illness. Physical activity such as walking increases the number of white blood cells circulating in your blood and fights off infections and other diseases.
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4. Walking gives you much more energy.
This is because walking increases oxygen flow through the body. It can increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These are hormones that help elevate energy levels.
5. Walking can improve your mental health.
Studies show that walking can reduce depression, mood swings, and social withdrawal. This is because aerobic exercise, such as walking, can help you feel more relaxed.
6. Walking increases your lung capacity.
When you walk, you breathe in more oxygen as compared to when you’re still. This exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at a larger volume can increase your lung capacity, thereby increasing your stamina.
7. Walking reduces mortality.
Studies show that walking for 1-2 hours a day decreases mortality risk by 70 percent in men with cardiovascular disease or cancer. Walk regularly to improve your heart health and general well-being.
These benefits should be enough reason to put on your walking shoes and incorporate walking into your daily routine.
Originally Published at BeYAH Fitness