No matter what your health status, weight, fitness level, or goals are, there is always a good reason to add walking into your regular routine. As an added bonus, it is free and relatively easy to squeeze in to most lifestyles. If you can, try to walk for at least a few minutes a day, as it has so many different health benefits for you. Read on for 10 amazing benefits of walking every day.
1. Walking is Great for Your Heart
One of the best health benefits of walking is that it helps to improve your heart health. When you walk, your heart starts pumping more, allowing you to flex those muscles and pump more blood to your muscles. This helps to strengthen your heart and keep it healthy. You may also notice that your cholesterol and blood pressure go down with regular walking, which can also help to improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your risk for both stroke and a heart attack.
2. Walking Can Help You Burn Calories
As an added bonus, walking more is going to mean burning more calories over time. The amount of calories you burn can depend on a lot of factors, so don’t expect to burn 1,000 calories in a simple, 30-minute walk.
First of all, your body and how in shape you are will determine calories burned. This includes your current weight, stamina, and heart rate during the workouts. Next, the speed at which you walk, the terrain, and any incline are also factors to keep in mind.
Healthline.com has a rough guide to calories burned while walking
Wearing a fitness tracker is the best way to know how many calories you are burning during your walks, and can help you keep track of your heart rate when your walks change.
3. It Can Help You Get To And Maintain A Healthy Weight
Walking, particularly at a quick pace and doing it regularly, can help you get to and then maintain a healthy weight. Yes, you still need to watch what you eat and aim for a healthy diet, but walking can be another tool to help you drop those extra pounds.
A good thing about walking when you’re overweight is that you can burn a lot of calories, even on short and slow walks, simply because you’re carrying more weight around with you. As you start to lose the weight, your overall strength and endurance increases, allowing you to walk longer, further, and faster.
4. It Helps with Joint Pain
If you suffer with joint pain, from bad knees to arthritis, walking can help tremendously. Walking can help to lubricate your joints, which is going to keep them from being too stiff and sore. Building the muscles in your legs around your knee joint can also help a lot with joint pain from arthritis, which is also another benefit of walking more often.
5. Walking Strengthens Your Bones and Muscles
Even though walking is a low impact form of exercise it helps to strengthen and tone your body. If you’re just starting out, it is all you need to start to get into better shape. As you get more fit, consider adding weight lifting exercises in addition to your daily walks to continue to get stronger and help develop strong muscles and bones.
6. Walking Improves Your Sense Of Balance And Coordination
As you walk, particularly when walking over rougher terrain, you’re also working on your sense of balance and coordination. Just getting in the habit of going for a daily walk will help. But you can work even more on your sense of balance by moving your head around. Turn your head to the right and left as you walk for a count of 30. Then move your head up and down for a count of 30. If you do these simple exercises once or twice as you walk each day you’ll get even more benefit.
7. Walking Encourages Other Forms of Exercise
One of the more unique benefits of walking is that many people get inspired to try other workouts as well. It is very common for people to start their fitness routine just with short walks. Maybe you walk at the park with your kids, or start a morning routine of walking on a treadmill at home. Before too long, you will notice that you feel healthier and stronger, and want to do more. You might try yoga or pilates, join the gym, go for jogs or runs, or start weight training.
8. Walking Gets You Outside In The Fresh Air and Sunshine
No matter how fast or slow you walk, walking gets you outside and in the fresh air. This alone will make you feel better as your body absorbs the oxygen and sunshine. Both are important for your health and well-being.
You will find the air quality outside, particularly if you go for a walk on the beach or in a park, will be much better than the air inside your house. Plus, the sunshine outside will help your body produce all the Vitamin D it needs.
9. Walking Can Boost Your Enegry
If you’re feeling a little tired, going for a walk could be just the energy boost you need.
Walking increases the flow of oxygen through your body. It can also increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, hormones that help lift energy levels.
10. It Can Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Don’t forget about your mental health! Walking doesn’t just help you physically, but emotionally as well. Stress takes a toll on your entire body, so the more you can reduce your stress and anxiety, the better your health will be overall.
The exercise of walking releases endorphins that will help lift your mood and can even reduce depression. Give it a try. The next time you’re feeling tired or are in a bad mood, pull on your trainers and go for a brisk walk. It works like a charm.
10 Benefits of Walking Every Day
There are a lot of good reasons to go for a walk. It’s fun, it’s relaxing, and most important it’s good for your health. I hope this article convinces you that heading out for a walk each day is a great idea and that it motivates you to stick to your walking schedule until you start to see results.
Are you looking at developing a new walking habit or do you fancy setting yourself a challenge? Then you might be interested in my free 21 Day Walking Challenge. With 21 days of walking tips and advice it also includes a free printable challenge calendar and exclusive walking journal. You’ll be feeling the benefits of walking every day in no time at all.
Check it out in my blog post 21 Day Walking Challenge or you can sign up below.
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