With recent workout trends popping up on social media, it’s often easy to find yourself in a rabbit hole of 30-minute weight loss programs, trendy diets and viral infographics on How to Lose Body Fat in Just 10 Days!
While this is a great way to get people to go out and work out, the simplest exercise is often highly overlooked — walking!
Walking provides the human body with numerous benefits, despite it being the most basic form of body movement. It is easy to do, isn’t hard on the joints and can serve as a meditation technique! So yes, all these high-intensity exercises are great, but going out even for a quick walk can do wonders for your body without the physical demand of intense workouts!
Walking is a Great Way to Improve Circulation
Walking at any pace can do wonders to your body’s circulation. Just 10 minutes of brisk or moderate walking three times a day can help people struggling with high blood pressure.
Improving your body’s circulation through walking is a great way to reduce the stiffening of blood vessels, which in turn encourages blood to flow easily throughout your body. Contracting and relaxing your muscles while walking stimulates the large veins in the legs, thus promoting healthy circulation, especially in areas where blood flow is stagnant.
A healthy blood circulation creates a domino effect of health benefits! It helps keep your heart healthy and reduces the risk of diseases such as stroke and heart attack. It also helps improve your joint health and can even reduce the pain of arthritis!
Walking Can Help Strengthen Your Muscles
Walking is a great way to get in shape and improve your overall health, but it can also help to strengthen your muscles. When we think of strengthening muscles, we often think about weightlifting or resistance training. These are also great ways to develop strong muscles over time, but they may not be for everyone! Walking is easily accessible and an effective low-impact workout that doesn’t require much to get started.
It’s easy to dismiss walking as an exercise that exclusively targets the legs, but we tend to overlook that walking targets a lot of our muscles, especially in the upper body, such as the abs, hip flexors and back, that help keep you upright as you are walking.
Are walking routines recommendable for pregnant women? By all means! Walking strengthens the exact group of muscles that, when unattended, leads to unwanted back pain. The more you walk during pregnancy, the more you develop strong back muscles that will help pregnant women support their growing bellies.
It Also Strengthens Your Bones
Walking is a great way to build and maintain strong bones. Since it is a weight-bearing exercise, walking increases your muscle strength, balance and coordination, contributing to preventing falls and fractures while improving your overall health.
By putting stress on bones, walking helps to stimulate the production of new bone cells, leading to increased bone density. It can also help improve balance and coordination, both of which are important for preventing injuries caused by falls. For people with osteoporosis or other conditions that affect bone density, walking can be an effective way to slow the progression of the condition and improve quality of life.
Just like muscles, bones become stronger with exercise. Because they are living tissues, bones can change and adapt over time in response to the exertion of force placed upon them. So, when you exercise regularly, your bones adapt by growing more tissue and developing density.
Walking Helps Boost Immunity
Walking is a great way to boost immunity and improve health. Studies have shown that walking can help improve immune system function, increase white blood cell count and even reduce inflammation. Walking also helps promote healthy gut bacteria, further strengthening the immune system. In addition to boosting immunity, walking has also been shown to improve heart health, lower blood pressure and reduce stress levels.
Issues with digestion and nutrient absorption? Walking will help speed up food movement through your digestive system, preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. In addition, healthier blood circulation will help deliver nutrients and oxygen to all of your cells, including your immune cells. So, next time you’re feeling under the weather, take a brisk walk and give your immune system a boost!
Walking Helps Alleviate Joint Pain
Walking is a low-impact form of exercise that can have significant health benefits, especially for people who suffer from joint pain.
Joints are protected by a cartilage layer that allows them to move smoothly. However, this cartilage can break down over time, causing pain and inflammation. Walking helps to alleviate joint pain by strengthening the muscles around the joints and improving flexibility. In addition, it increases the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints and helps to reduce friction.
Walking also helps to reduce inflammation and improve the range of motion of your legs. The more miles you get in, the more weight you’ll lose, putting less and less stress on your joints. If you are struggling with knee pain, joint pain or arthritis, walking is a great way to get moving and improve your overall health.
Is Walking Better Than Running?
Walking and running are both excellent forms of exercise, but walking has several distinct advantages. This is not to say that running doesn’t have its benefits — it is a great cardio workout and can help you to burn more calories than walking, build strong bones and improve your overall fitness level. Walking, however, is much easier on the joints than running, and it is, therefore, a good option for people with arthritis or other joint problems.
Walking can be done virtually anywhere and anytime, without any special equipment or training. All you have to do is put your shoes on, leave your home and enjoy the fresh air while clearing your mind of negative thoughts and quotidian cares!
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