Walking is the most popular physical activity among adults, as it requires no special clothes or equipment, and it’s free. Walking is a basic movement we use every day, but it requires discipline to walk enough to gain its health benefits. Regular walking can have many health benefits, listed below are few of these.
Benefits:
- Walking regularly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. It’s great cardio exercise, lowering levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
- Walking regulates blood sugar levels, which keeps insulin levels low and diabetes at bay. As per a study, walking for 15 minutes after meals helped regulate blood sugar levels just as effectively as one 45-minute walk per day.
- Regular walking tones your calves, quads and hamstrings, helping you to get in shape.
- A brisk walk is one of the best natural exercises around. It boosts circulation and increases oxygen supply to every cell in your body, helping you to feel more alert and alive.
- Studies show that a brisk walk is just as effective as antidepressants in mild to moderate cases of depression, releasing feel-good endorphins while reducing stress and anxiety.
- Walking helps you get fitter and means your body gets better at using oxygen, so you find it easier to be more active and tire less quickly.
Final word:
An average built human walking at a speed of 6 km/hr. can burn around 300 calories every hour.
It is recommended that individuals take at least 10,000 steps each day to reap the benefits of walking. The steps can be easily tracked using a pedometer.
A simple walk every day can help you live a healthier life. As a wise man once said ‘An early morning walk is the blessing for the whole day! ’