10 Benefits of Walking

Our bodies are designed for walking. It’s easy to do and offers many benefits, especially for people who suffer from arthritis. Walking is not only part of being a human, it is practical for many reasons. In this day and age, modern human beings seem to be to walk as little as possible. Not many people are willing to commute to work with a 7 mile walk, but even fewer are willing to walk less than 1 mile to a local store.

Hundreds of medical studies have showed that regular exercise is good for your health. The University College of London ran a study published in peer reviewed journals on walking. The data used was collected from 1970 to 2007.

The nearly 40 years of data had over 459,000 participants in 7 countries, who were free of cardiovascular disease when the study began. The average participant was tracked for 11 years during the study, which recorded cardiovascular events such as stroke, chest pains (angina), heart attacks etc. The data showed a strong correlation between participants who walked and the reduced risk of heart problems.

In my opinion, people don’t give walking enough credit. What’s so great about it? For starters it’s free, easy to do and it’s easy on the body. There’s no doubt that walking is good for you. It’s an anaerobic exercise that offers a myriad of benefits.

Walking Improves Circulation

Fend off heart disease with a daily walk. Walking raises your heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. Studies conducted at the University of Colorado and the University of Tennessee indicated that post-menopausal women that walked just 1 to 2 miles each day lowered their blood pressure by close to 11 points in 6 months. Women who walked a minimum of 30 minutes a day were able to reduce their risk for stroke by 20%. 

Walking Strengthens Bones

Loss of bone density is a major concern among older people. Regular walks can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis. Activities like walking aren’t perfect bone builders, but they do offer health benefits. Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh studied 3,000 athletic seniors. Her studies have shown that people in their 70s and 80s who walked regularly were able to maintain above average bone densities in comparison with the general population.

Walking Lifts Mood

The California State University of Long Beach indicated that the more steps participants took during the day, the brighter their moods. Why does this occur? Walking releases endorphins, a natural pain killer produced by the body which is also one of the chemicals responsible for happiness. Long walks were also shown to improve memory and the ability to cope with stress.

Walking Can Help You Lose Weight

A 30 minute walk at a brisk pace can burn up to 200 calories. As we all know, the more calories we burn, the more weight you can lose. 

Walking Builds Strength

Walking may be a much more subtle way to build muscle strength than resistance training, but it definitely does the trick. It tones your legs, core and even the upper body.

Walking Improves Sleep

Many people who have insomnia have discovered that walking is a natural remedy for sleep. Many studies have shown that moderate exercise like walking can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the length of sleep. A study ran by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center shows that women from ages 50 to 75 who walked for one hour each morning were less likely to suffer insomnia than women who didn’t.

Walking Improves Breathing

Breathing exercises can help you expel waste products like carbon dioxide and raise your energy level. When you walk your breathing rate increases, allowing oxygen to move through your bloodstream faster and more efficiently. 

Walking Slows Mental Decline

A study of over 6,000 women over the age of 65 carried out by a research team at the University of California found that those who walked more often had a lower risk of age related mental memory decline. Women who walked a minimum of 2 miles a day were 8% less likely to suffer from age related memory loss.

Walking Can Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Exercise and other kinds of physical activity have many health benefits. Epidemiological studies suggest that activities like walking may play a significant role in reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s disease along with other age-related cognitive decline.

Walking Increases Stamina

People 65 and can benefit from walking and resistance exercise programs designed to prevent disabilities. If you have a low fitness level, try walking for 2 to 5 minutes of continuous walking. Slowly build up to 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week.

Your health care provider will work with you to determine a healthy exercise routine. Total Home Health can connect you with experienced health care experts who are ready to help you live a long, healthy and fulfilling life. Join today to jumpstart your plans for healthy living.