Why is Walking Good for You?

Walking is a low-impact activity that can be moderately intense if done at a speed where you can talk but not sing. This means it will work for your cardiovascular system.

Dr. Robinson recommends that people walk at a pace that increases their heart rate. Use the “talk test,” described above, to determine if you are a bit out of breath but not totally. He says that this is a good indicator of how well your cardio fitness will improve as you walk.

Robinson recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise spread over multiple days. This aligns with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They recommend 150 minutes of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise for adults per week (or 30 minutes five days a week).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dividing the time into smaller portions throughout the day is okay. You could do three 10-minute strolls during the day.

Robinson says walking is a great aerobic exercise that strengthens your muscles, especially your legs and core.

Even though walking is a great full-body exercise, it is important to have rest days. He recommends intense walking exercises no more than five days per week to reduce the chance of injury. However, rest days don’t mean being entirely passive. You can walk at a moderate or light intensity every day. This is good for your health. You can read more about that below.

There are many other ways to benefit your health by walking.

Walking May Lengthen Your Life

You can walk well into your golden age. Researchers published a study in JAMA Network Open 2021 that showed those who walked at least 7,000 feet per day were 50 to 70% less likely to die (from any cause). Researchers controlled for several lifestyle and behavioral factors, including age, smoking, body weight and alcohol consumption, diet, and health markers such as blood glucose levels and fasting glucose.

The author, Amanda Paluch, Ph.D., is a physical activity epidemiologist, kinesiologist, and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

She says that walking is an excellent way to do this. Walking more can prevent many chronic diseases that cause early death. “No drug can do what walking or physical activity like it can.”

Walking can boost bone strength.

Robinson says that walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which means standing up with your bones supporting the weight. This may help maintain bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Robinson says that walking improves your core strength and stability, which will help you avoid falls as you get older.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, walking can help improve the strength of your spine and legs. They recommend starting with a brisk 10-minute walk three times a day.

Robinson recommends combining walking with strength training to benefit your bones best.

Walking Lifts Your Mood

Take a walk when you feel down. Remember the “stupidwalkchallenge” trend? It doesn’t have to be extended. In a report published in Perspectives on Health Promotion in 2018, young people who walked briskly for 10 minutes saw their mood improve — especially regarding fatigue.

Moving around can help you feel more energetic and less down. In an earlier study by the same researchers, published in Mayo Clinic proceedings in 2017, it was found that walking for five minutes improved mood and reduced depression symptoms.

Walking is good for weight loss.

You don’t need a vigorous exercise program to lose weight (unless that’s what you like).

She Published research in the Journal of Nutrition in 2017. Both groups lost 8 percent of body weight. This means that they both lost weight. However, those who added walking into a calorie-controlled diet lost more weight.

Walking Promotes Heart Health

Regular walking will help you to lower your cholesterol levels. CDC states that high cholesterol is a factor in heart disease. Reducing total cholesterol by 10% can reduce your heart disease risk by almost one-third. You can achieve this by walking.