10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING

Did you know: Walking 30 to 60 minutes a day is recommended for health and weight management? A brisk walk beats gym exercise and sports for staying slim. If one owns a good pair of shoes, our city's walking trails and sidewalks are a free, fun, and convenient place to start.

Walking is the least complicated way to become fit and improve our overall health. According to studies, if we could walk 100 steps per minute, we would be walking fast enough to gain visible benefits of walking. There is no fixed number of steps that constitute the benefits of walking. It depends from individual to individual.

Let’s discuss the 10 benefits of walking daily in our life.

1. Lower blood sugar levels:

Walking is a wonderful technique; to help manage blood sugar levels. In diabetic patients with type 2 diabetic and gestational diabetes or pre-diabetic condition. To manage post-meal blood sugar, the individual should walk for 30 minutes after meals. Make walking after meals part of our daily routine. After every walk, test your blood sugar level to ensure that it has not gone too low.

2. Improves cardiac health:

Walking can improve our cardio-respiratory health. Among several benefits of walking daily, it increases our heart rate, automatically decreasing our blood pressure and risk of heart disease, hypertension, and stroke. It improves our overall circulation and improves our heart health over time. Take 2000 steps; this should be done in one go, which is approximately 20 minutes walk, either in the morning or evening daily.

3. Reduce obesity:

Walking is a simple, natural, and non-strenuous form of cardio. Walk briskly for an hour every day or 30 minutes twice a day to burn those extra calories. If we are not used to walking regularly, then start with 15 or 20 minutes to 30 minutes and then slowly increase the timing. More importantly, if we want to lose weight by walking, then watch our calorie intake, and make some changes in our dietary habits, then only it would be easy to lose weight.

4. Improves musculoskeletal health:

We need to pay more attention to musculoskeletal health. We lose muscle and bone mass as we age, and a habit of walking daily is great for maintaining musculoskeletal health, including maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis, maintaining muscle strength and muscle mass, as well as improving balance control.

5. Improves sleep quality:

In 2016, the BMJ journals published a study on sleep quality led by researchers from Japan's university of occupational and environmental health. According to the results of the survey, walking 10000 steps a day for 4 weeks has a significant effect on sleep duration and sleep quality. Although 10000 steps might take the average person longer than 30 minutes, it's a good target to set eventually, especially if we have trouble sleeping.

6. Improve one's health and longevity:

Take 30 minutes or longer walk every day or at least a few times a week. However, we should start walking at a distance, which we feel, comfortable, and slowly increase our distance and pass over time. Studies have shown that a habit of having regular walks can help improve cognitive performance and reduce cognitive decline and the risk of dementia.

7. Enhances Lung capacity:

Walking is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. The benefits of walking daily also include improved lung capacity. If we walk regularly, our lungs eventually become stronger, and we will notice a significant improvement in our endurance, as well as healthier lungs. We'll also enjoy more energy as oxygen travels more efficiently throughout our bloodstream.

8. Muscle strength:

Major benefits of walking involve it engages large muscle groups and is especially good for strengthening our legs. As we do this regularly, we will notice that it becomes easier for us to go on for longer. Maintaining a good posture while we walk will also improve our core strength and, consequently, our balance.

9. Bones and joints:

Being active leads increase bone health. Our bones will become more robust and less susceptible to breakage and osteoporosis. Additionally, the movements involved in walking keep joints lubricated and healthy, so you are less likely to develop arthritis and similar conditions as you age.

10. Brain function:

According to a 2011 study led by the radiological society of north America, the benefits of walking daily improve brain function so significantly that it helps slow down cognitive decline even in people with dementia. Walking activity won't just reduce our risk for illnesses like Alzheimer's disease but will also improve our mood and memory.

Conclusion:

Walking is one of the most underrated exercises. Most people take it for granted and believe that fitness must be achieved by doing entire yoga sessions, working out with gym equipment, or attending exercise classes. But simply the numerous benefits of walking daily can transform our body in many positive ways.

We can walk leisurely or briskly depending on our preference, and what's important is that we try to do it regularly. Start making a habit of walking every single day, ideally for at least 20 minutes at a good pace, but if we have not been exercising regularly, start slowly.

Go for walks for a duration and at a pace that we are comfortable with. It is very important to do it safely.