Healthy Ways

Walk Towards Fitness

As states and counties reopen public venues at different rates, walking is the one form of exercise that’s still available to everyone. Walking has numerous health benefits. Below is a list of just a few of the powerful advantages walking as a form of exercise provides:

Walking Improves Muscle & Bone Strength

Walking has been proven to reverse the effects of aging on muscle strength. As we age, our muscle strength greatly diminishes. Walking builds muscle mass and tones muscles, especially in our back and legs.

Our bones also weaken as we age, which is why our posture and gait changes when we age. Walking has been found to strengthen bone by providing stress to the bones, and bone cells called osteoblasts flourish in this type of stress, which prevents the loss of bone density. Power walking, jogging, and walking with ankle weights help even better bone mass.

Walking Burns Fat

Walking is an especially great exercise for people who don’t own gym equipment. Studies have found time and time again that walking regularly helps in losing weight by burning fat. Walking, when combined with good nutrition, is a relatively simple way to get in shape for free. A study published in 2014 in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition and Biochemistry found that walking between 50 and 70 minutes just three days a week for 12 weeks resulted in an average body fat loss of 1.5%, or 1.1 inches around the waist in obese women.

Walking Puts You in a Good Mood

It’s important now more than ever to maintain your mental health. Many of us feel stressed, depressed, and anxious due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which can result in loss of sleep, increased appetite, and mood swings. Walking has been proven to have a palliative effect on a person’s mood. In a study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2016, three experiments demonstrated that even casual walking had a positive effect. According to the study, walking “can override the effects of other emotionally relevant events such as boredom and dread.” By walking outside, you also expose yourself to the Vitamin D found in sunlight, which can improve mood.

Walking Boosts Your Heart Health

Studies show that walking can make your heart stronger. Because it’s an aerobic activity, walking promotes greater efficiency of the heart by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. This results in a reduced the risk of developing heart disease. Several studies have concluded that walking reduced the risk of developing heart disease by 31% for both men and women who walked as little as 5.5 miles a week at a slow pace of 2 mph. The general recommendation for adults is to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity.