Exercise regimens that are more intense, such as running and HIIT, usually are thought of as being more beneficial to one's physical and mental health. But walking has tons of perks, too.
There are many benefits that come with going for a walk, such as reducing body fat, toning abs, easing lower back pain, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Health Benefits of Walking
Walking can have positive benefits for your mental health, making you feel happier, more energized, and less stressed. It doesn't take much time to improve your health – only 15-40 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
It's Linked to Lower Rates of Depression
The research shows that there is a link between higher levels of physical activity and lower rates of depression.
The mood-boosting benefits of going outside for a walk can be amplified. A study published in December 2018 found that people who walk in nature have reduced levels of depression, anxiety, tension, and anger.
It Can Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety
A simple walk can have a profound effect on your mood if you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed. This is due in part to changes in key hormones.
“Brisk walking decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, while testosterone levels go up — this helps you gain strength, boosts confidence, and improves libido,” says R. Kannan Mutharasan, MD, co-program director of sports cardiology at the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, states that cardiovascular exercise is important for maintaining a healthy heart.
“What's more, walking with a friend or loved one releases the warm and fuzzy hormone oxytocin, which makes you feel happy and connected.”
Walking in nature can help reduce stress levels both physically and psychologically.
A study in 2018 found that people who walk in nature have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and feel less stressed than people who walk in urban areas.
Walking combined with a bit of moving meditation can help ease anxiety, according to a July 2018 study.
It's Associated With Longer Life Expectancy
A study in June 2019 from The BMJ showed that staying physically active can help you live longer. This text is saying that exercising regularly can help you live longer.
Exactly how much walking? The study found that people who do the recommended amount of moderate-intensity aerobic activity have a greatly reduced risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
If you can, take your pace up a notch! A study that was published in June 2019 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that people who walk quickly tend to have a longer life expectancy.
It Helps Keep Your Joints Healthy and Pain-Free
A low-impact exercise such as walking is easier on your joints than a high-impact activity like running. One hour of moderate to vigorous exercise a week can help keep older adults free of disabilities, according to a study.
researchers found that people with knee pain who did a physical therapy regimen that included walking backward had a significant reduction in pain and disability compared to those who didn't include backward walking in their therapy Walking backward can help reduce knee pain, according to a study from BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. The study found that people with knee pain who did a physical therapy regimen that included walking backward had a significant reduction in pain and disability compared to those who didn't include backward walking in their therapy. Make sure you have a good pair of supportive walking shoes. This will help you to avoid injury while walking.
Additionally, “Dr. Mutharasen says that walking strengthens the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around your hip, knee, and ankle joints.” When your muscles are strong enough to support your weight, this helps reduce the pressure on your joints. This, in turn, reduces your risk of injury and discomfort.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, walking also improves the circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates your joints. It also helps rebuild cartilage in the joints.
Walking regularly can help you lose weight, which can reduce the pressure on your joints.
“Even modest weight loss can make a tremendous difference in the health of your knees and hips,” Dr. Mutharasen says. “Taking just a few pounds off your overall body weight may result in tens or even hundreds of pounds off your joints.”
It May Lower the Risk of Hip Fractures
A study from the American Journal of Public Health in April 2014 found that walking is a relatively safe and easy activity that can help prevent hip fractures.
An older study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in 2002 found that people who walk for 30 minutes each day have a 40 percent lower risk of hip fractures.
It Might Lower the Risk and Severity of a Stroke
The less sedentary you are, the lower your risk of stroke, according to Harvard Health Publishing. An October 2018 study from Neurology found that people who walk frequently are less likely to have a severe stroke if they do have one.
It's Linked to Lower Rates of Cardiovascular Disease
The American Heart Association recommends walking as a way to lower the risk of heart disease. An example of this is a study from the European Heart Journal in August 2017 which found that people who walk quickly are less likely to die from heart disease than those who walk slowly.
How does walking help your heart? Walking increases your heart rate, which improves your heart's ability to pump blood. If you walk regularly, your heart will become stronger and more efficient at pumping blood over time. As a result, your resting heart rate will become slower, says Megan Augustyn, a physical therapist at Rush University.
Dr. Muthrasen states that, similarly to any other muscle in the body, exercising the heart muscle makes it stronger.
It Improves Your Blood Circulation
Dr. Muthrasen states that walking can help increase your heart rate, which in turn increases blood flow to your muscles and organs. As a result, your entire system functions more optimally.
Walking increases your capacity for blood flow. When you engage in physical activity, your muscles need more blood flow, so your body produces new capillaries to accommodate the increased demand.
“Your blood vessels are not static like the pipes in your house,” Dr. Mutharasen says. “They respond to the uptick in blood flow during exercise by growing new and better blood vessels.”
Your Walking Playlist
We begin to walk around 9-15 months after we are born. We walk with one foot in front of the other, sometimes quickly and with a purpose, and sometimes more slowly. The average person takes 6,839 steps a day, or 2,496,235 a year, according to a British study.1 That's 1,182 miles each year, or 74,462 miles over the average lifetime! So make sure you have some good walking shoes.
It is great if you are trying to reach a daily step goal of 10,000. A commonly touted number for how many steps a person should take in a day is 10,000, but this number was the result of a Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer in the 1960s, rather than any intense scientific research.
When you walk, you are getting a great workout while also saving money on gas and being environmentally friendly. It reinvigorates the mind and body. As you keep moving forward, celebrate your progress with this playlist of pop, rock, country, and R&B songs all about continuing to put one foot in front of the other.
“I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers
Oh, what some people wouldn't do for love! Scottish twin brothers who had a one-hit-wonder in 1993 with an alt-rock song. It explains how much a man who is in love is willing to do to show his affection for his partner. He is falling in love with her and wants to share everything with her. He plans to spend his life with her, growing old together and being there for each other no matter what.
Some American DJs misunderstood the meaning of the Scottish word havering in the line, “I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you” (meaning “jabbering” or “talking nonsense”). They thought it meant “lusting” or ” yearning” and played it as such. The song was initially rejected by radio stations. Then, however, they walked back to their decision.
“One Foot” by Walk the Moon
Even if you're feeling anxious and stressed, don't give up and let those negative forces win. Put one foot in front of the other. Press on during uncertain times.
This 2017 song features a man who is very optimistic and is looking forward to the future, even though he doesn't know what it holds.
“Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles
Well, Egyptians don't technically walk differently. This pop-rock song from 1986 celebrates the ancient Egyptian tomb paintings that depict human figures. It advocates doing an Egyptian sand dance and name-drops gold crocodiles, hookah pipes, and the Nile River.
While watching passengers on a ferryboat try to keep their balance in rough waters, the songwriter got the idea for the song. The song was The Bangles' biggest hit.
“Walking on Broken Glass” by Annie Lennox
Ouch! There's no tiptoeing through the broken glass! The narrator's ex has really hurt her emotionally, and she still feels a lot of pain from it.
A woman in this 1992 pop tune has been abandoned by her former flame and is nearly destroyed by the cruel things he did to her. She feels that her heart is still broken into shards of glass. The narrator is surrounded by the emotional wreckage and feels as if she is walking on broken glass. She is thinking about the past and how everything has fallen apart. Ever been there?
“Walk a Little Straighter” by Billy Currington
The song is about a young boy whose father is an alcoholic and how that has affected him emotionally. Although he wants to, he cannot look up to his father as a role model because his father is often drunk and unsteady on his feet.
The young man is embarrassed by the father's behavior and feels that it is not a good example to set. The youngster is ashamed and tells his father he needs to walk straighter. The son, who experienced the trauma of growing up with an alcoholic father, vows never to put his own children through the same experience.
“Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves
This girl is dancing happily to this 1985 pop song. She just confirmed that the one she loves feels the same way about her. She feels excited and full of energy after the discovery. As she waits for a letter from him to appear in her mailbox—remember, this was before email and cell phones—she feels as though she is walking on sunshine.
“Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison
A beautiful woman is minding her own business and catches the attention of Roy Orbison with his dark glasses. (Note that he's not blind.)
The man in the song is complimenting her and trying to pick her up with cheesy lines. The guy is disappointed when the girl walks past him without stopping to talk. Are his overtures welcome or not? The man gets his answer when the pretty woman turns back around and walks toward him. It must have been the growl that sold her.
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day
Depression is the most common cause of disability, with more than 300 million people worldwide suffering from its effects. The man in this alt-rock song from 2004 is one of the people who won a Grammy Award.
The narrator in this story feels lonely and disconnected from his dreams as he walks the empty city streets alone. He has moved to a new home and feels isolated. He feels this way because he is not living the “American Dream” and does not feel connected to other people.
