Do you know that there are thousands of benefits of walking every day. Indeed, it is the best way to stay healthy. The great Greek physician Hippocrates once said walking every day is a man’s best medicine. Well, he hit the nail right on the head with that one. Walking is totally free, easy, requires a little effort and benefits not only your physical but also your mental well-being.
We’re about to get into that and you’ll find out what the fit formula is and how it can help you out big-time before you grab your walking shoe and head out for your walk.
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Now, let’s deep dive to the 10 benefits of walking every day and see what happens to your body before and after walking:
Benefits of Walking Every Day -Deep Dive
Long story short, based on our researches, we have listed the top 10 benefits of Walking Every Day:
- Walking Boost your Brain
- Improves Eyesight
- Prevents Heart Disease
- Increase Lung Volume
- Reduces the incidence of Diabetes
- Improves Digestion
- Gives Toned Muscles
- Provides Sturdier Bones and Joints
- Relieves Back Pain
- Gives a Calmer Mind
Brain Boosting Effect of Walking Every Day
A study at the University of Kansas has revealed how low impact aerobic exercises like walking prevent the early onset of dementia and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Over 35 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer and sadly it’s only getting worse. Scientists predict that this number will double in the next 20 years. The good news is that people who are physically active throughout their life. They are much less prone to this disease than those who have a more sedentary lifestyle. That’s because they have more volume in their hippocampus which is the part of the brain responsible for verbal memory and learning.
Plus, walking improves your overall mental well-being by reducing stress and releasing endorphins. It stimulates not only the production of chemicals responsible for brain health, but also the growth and survival of neural blood vessels and cells.
Improve Eyesight Via Walking Every Day
Moving your legs helps your eyes! How in the heck do they have anything to do with each other?
Well first off, walking can help fight glaucoma by relieving eye pressure. The Glaucoma develops when too much fluid builds up in the eye. It increases the pressure inside that pressure in turn affects the optic nerve which results in visual impairment.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation recommends walking as one of the best ways to reduce the risk of developing glaucoma, and even relieve its symptoms. If you think you’re way too young to start worrying about glaucoma, you should know that walking is good for eyesight in general.
Both low and high intensity exercise strengthens and stimulates the visual cortex that part of the brain that processes the images our eyes send to it. So, get on the road to improve vision and protect your eyes now from potential problems in the future.
Walk Every Day for Prevention of Heart Disease
You’re probably well aware of the fact that running makes your hearts stronger. But, according to the American Heart Association, walking is no less effective than running when it comes to the prevention of heart disease and stroke.
A daily half-hour walk helps avoid serious problems like coronary heart disease to name one by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improving blood circulation. Also, it is possible to record your heart rate via smart watches while walking which help you to track your health status efficiently.
Walking Every Day Increases Lung Volume
Walking is an aerobic exercise which means that it increases oxygen flow in the bloodstream and helps eliminate toxins and wastes. In short, it’s great for your lungs. Because of better quality and deeper breathing, some symptoms associated with lung disease can show significant improvement. The stress and medication that lung disease brings with it weaken the immune system of those suffering from it. We all know that spending time outdoors is a great immunity booster so why wouldn’t you start walking every day.
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Benefits of Walking Every Day for the Pancreas
Believe it or not, walking for exercise is a surprisingly more effective way to prevent diabetes than running is. In a Duke University study over a six-month trial period a group of frequent walkers demonstrated a 6 times greater improvement in glucose tolerance or blood sugar absorption than a group of runners. More efficient use of blood sugar allows your pancreas to produce less insulin giving it a much-needed rest to gather strength.
Improve Digestion by Walking Every Day
Just half an hour of walking every day not only lowers the risk of developing colon cancer but also improves digestion and regulates bowel movements.
Good news for those who suffer from chronic constipation. What’s even better, walking helps the chances of surviving colon cancer even after it’s already been diagnosed. This incredible fact was discovered in a study of over 150 thousand men and women where activity levels were compared with the number of those who got colon cancer and died of it.
It Gıves Toned Muscles
Muscle tone and weight loss is also totally achievable through simple walking, if you want to lose weight via walking. In fact, just 10,000 steps a day can be just as effective as a full-blown workout at the gym, especially, if you add some intervals or uphill walking.
You should just remember to use correct form though: Keep your spine straight, bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle, swing your arms and stabilize your pelvis. You should find your optimal pace but don’t break out into a jog.
This sort of speed walking is low-impact and doesn’t require any recovery time which means no sore muscles to keep you from getting out and walking the next day. Thumbs up if that sounds like something you’re game for!
Sturdier Bones and Joints via Walking
Walking can provide more joint mobility, prevent the loss of bone density, and even reduce the risk of fractures. The Arthritis Foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate walking a day to reduce pain stiffness and inflammation in the joints. Building strong bones will help you prevent osteoporosis and reduce bone loss.
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Walking Every Day is a Great Way of Back Pain Relief
Yet, another ailment which walking can cure is the back pain. This is a real lifesaver for those who experience back pain during more challenging high-impact exercises. Since it’s a low-impact activity, it won’t cause more pain or discomfort like running.
Walking contributes to better blood circulation within the spinal structures, pumping important nutrients into the soft tissues, and improving posture and flexibility. Both of which are vital for a healthy spine. As you walk, you make your spine more stable and strengthen the muscles that keep your body upright. With better posture comes a few added inches to your height!
A Calmer Mind – The Meditation Comes with Walking Every Day
If mind and body are connected like they say, then this point is right at home on our list. The Journal of Psychiatric Research published the results of a study on 50 individuals suffering from major depression. It showed that walking 30 to 45 minutes a day, 5-days a week improve their conditions significantly. If walking improves depression symptoms in patients with MDD, just imagine how easily it could help us cope with just feeling down or exhausted.
Another group of researchers at Iowa State University worked with hundreds of college students and we all know how stress this bunch is. Walking changed their mood for the better, even though no one warned them that it could do so.
A joyful walk with a friend or loved one will only enhance that happy effect and improve your mood even more.
How to Walk Every Day to Get the Benefits of It
If you now can’t wait to get out there and walk, hold on for a second! You shouldn’t try to do too much right away. You should keep in mind how to walk efficiently. It stands for frequency, how often intensity, how fast, and a time for how long. When you want to level up change one of those components at a time to walk efficiently. We also recommend tracking how well you did via using smart watches. It is possible to track and record your walking frequency, intensity and time via Garmin Forerunner Series.
Frequency of Walking – Is it OK to Walk Every Day?
If for whatever reasons you can’t go for a walk every single day, you can do it three to five times a week. If you can only handle a five-minute walk start with that! But, you can do it regularly and gradually add extra minutes to it. You should just make it your routine, that’s what really matters!
Intensity of Walking – How Many Miles of Walking is good?
2 to 3 miles an hour is a good average intensity. If that’s too much for you, you can set your own optimal pace. A good rule to remember is that you should be able to talk while walking! If you start running out of breath and your heart beats like crazy, you’re going too fast!
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Time – Walking 1 Hour a Day is Enough Exercise?
If you are wondering how much walking per day is healthy, then 30 minutes a day should be your goal. You can also count steps to motivate yourself to keep going. A good amount to aim for is 6,000 steps a day. If you want to stay younger, doctors recommend 10,000 steps a day. Again, if that’s too much, you can get there gradually, and start with what you can manage right now. If you still don’t feel motivated enough to start walking for your health, try joining a class or find a buddy who also wouldn’t mind getting the benefits of walking.
Another idea could be to hire a personal trainer; the money you have to pay them is a great motivation for some people.
Do you think walking is worth giving a shot! Or maybe you already do it and have success stories to share. We’d love to hear about it in the contact us section.
If you are looking for a shoe for walking, you can read the following in-depth review and comparison articles: