Health Benefits of Walking: 7 Reasons to Walk More This Year

We all know that exercising is one of the most important physical activities we must indulge in. However, a lot of us find it very difficult to stick to a fitness routine or visit the gym every day in order to stay fit and shed those extra kilos.

You may find a hundred ways to justify that why you cannot make out time for exercising every day, but, no one can deny that gradually, your overall health is getting affected.

Today, we live in “not so healthy” environment, and all of us are victims of workplace stress, faster lifestyle, unhealthy eating and pollution. All these keep on impacting the overall health of a person, but, we only realise this when we find out that our body has developed a serious ailment.

So, is there a solution to get rid of all these problems and find out an easier way to exercise?

Well, yes. You can choose “Walking” as your fitness activity and will find out that there are innumerable health benefits of walking which you can get simply by walking for a few minutes every day. Taking out 30-40 minutes every day for walking is not difficult, as you can walk at any time of the day. Though, morning walk offers the best results.

It is easy to walk, as it does not require an extraordinary strength and even easier to maintain consistency, as you can walk at any time of the day. You can also take a small walk in your office during some free time.

SEE ALSO: Foods For Getting Healthy Teeth

Here are the 7 Health Benefits of Walking which you can get from indulging in this physical activity.

It Strengthens Your Heart

With the kind of lifestyle we are living with, we all are at a high risk of heart disease, but, by walking regularly; you can easily strengthen your heart and significantly reduce the risk of heart ailments. Walking increases the blood flow, pumps more oxygen in the blood and lowers the level of the bad cholesterol (LDL) in our body by burning a higher number of calories. In fact, the Stroke Association also says that a 30 minute brisk walk each day can help in keeping the blood pressure under control, thereby, reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes by 27%.

You can Lose Weight

Yes, that’s true. Walking regularly for 30 – 40 minutes a day can help you burn calories and get rid of those extra inches on your waistline. The faster you walk the more calories you burn. You can walk at any time of the day, but avoid it right after the meals. So, what are you waiting for, work that brisk walk in your routine and start losing weight in no time.

Walking Makes You Happy

Yes, even mind exercises like walking, when done on the regular basis to act as effective antidepressants and release the feel-good endorphins in the body which boost your mood. It also helps in reducing anxiety and stress, thereby, making you feel calm and relaxed.

Lowered Risk of Diseases

One of the biggest health benefits of walking is reduced risk of chronic diseases. By including walking into your routine as one of your daily activities, you can easily reduce the risk of the various lifestyles induced diseases like obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart ailments etc. Not only this, walking helps in flushing out the toxins from your body and thus, you are 20% less likely to develop the womb, breast or colon cancer.

Walking Sparks Your Creativity

Walking makes your creative juices to start flowing, so if you are feeling stuck at work or you have been searching out a solution to one of those trickiest problems, researches show that walking can help in sparking your creativity. As the creative thinking tests were administered on subjects while being seated and walking, it was concluded that the group of walking people thought much more creatively that the ones who were sitting.

Walking Boosts Your Energy

Most often, we feel so exhausted that we find it difficult to even get up and take a step further. But, very few of us know that brisk walking is among the best natural energisers which can help you feel more energetic, alive and alert. Walking enhances the blood circulation while increasing the oxygen supply to every cell in the body. So, if you feel tired in the office, try walking into the lunch break to feel more energised in the second half of the day. However, avoid brisk walking after the lunch and instead, walk slowly.

So, stop procrastinating and start walking today to become healthier, fitter, and more active by walking. For more benefits, try walking early in the day and breathe in fresher air.