What are the benefits of walking?

Important Points:

  • Walking
  • Exercise
  • Endorphins
  • Cardiovascular health

What are the benefits of walking?

When it comes to physical activities, few can be as easy and as natural as walking, and despite its ease and accessibility, walking has been shown to have benefits you can harness to help improve your health. Here are a few benefits you can gain by just walking for as short as 30 minutes per day.

  1. It helps improve cardiovascular health

Any health conscious individual knows by now that exercise is a key to maintaining heart health, but did you know that as little as 30 minutes of walking a day can reduce the chances of a person from dying of a cardiovascular disease by as high as 24 percent? This was based on a study published in the journal Clinical Epidemiology that shows even low impact exercises can contribute immensely to cardiovascular health.

  • It increases blood flow to the brain

In a study published in the journal Experimental Biology, researchers found that walking does your body good not only through its cardiovascular and muscular benefits but also by its brain benefits.  Walking has been proven to increase the blood flow to the brain which in turn explains why walking helps people who feel sluggish to feel energized. So, whenever you feel dull or listless, give walking a shot; it might help.

  • It is a natural stress reliever and mood elevator

A study from the University of Michigan has found that group walking helps lower symptoms of depressions, improve coping with stress and helps enhance overall mental health and well being. This might be related to the fact that exercising helps our body release endorphins which are naturally mood elevating.

  • Walking helps regulate blood sugar levels

In one small study published by the American Diabetes Association, it was shown that walking for as little as 15 minutes after a meal resulted in smaller blood sugar spikes compared to those who did not walk. This lowers the risk of heart diseases, kidney diseases and other complications related to diabetes.

Replacing sedentary time with physical activity: a 15-year follow-up of mortality in a national cohort

https://www.dovepress.com/replacing-sedentary-time-with-physical-activity-a-15-year-follow-up-of-peer-reviewed-article-CLEP

How walking benefits the brain

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424141340.htm

Walking off depression and beating stress outdoors? Nature group walks linked to improved mental health

https://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201409/walking-depression-and-beating-stress-outdoors-nature-group

Three 15-min Bouts of Moderate Postmeal Walking Significantly Improves 24-h Glycemic Control in Older People at Risk for Impaired Glucose Tolerance

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/10/3262

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