6 Beautiful Benefits of Walking Exercises

The routine of sitting down and being productive is a situation most of us are familiar with. Due to the job opportunities available nowadays, a good number of us have opted for jobs that don’t require a lot of movement. Due to this relatively simple work setup, you may have noticed that you get tired easily when you do more active tasks. This may be a signal to make healthier lifestyle choices to live life to the fullest.

Exercise is something most of us may lack. Many have been sitting down on desks at the office or at our home for days on end, and this routine can be hard to break. Getting that drive to return to a more active routine is a must for a healthier life.

Going to a gym or spending on home workout equipment may not be an option for many but fret not. There are many simple and effective exercises, the best of which are walking exercises.

Benefits of walking exercises

Walking might seem like it doesn’t do much compared to the exercises you see in most workout videos online, but it is one of the best ways to keep yourself in tip top shape. From brisk walking, to even walking in place, we’ve listed down a few of the benefits you can get from walking below.

1. Helps you maintain a healthy weight - Physical activity is important for weight control. A simple activity such as brisk walking for 30 minutes can help you burn 150 calories. You can burn even more by increasing the length of your walk and quickening your pace.
2. Improve Fitness - Walking engages multiple muscles in your body. Both your lower and upper body work together to push you forward with each step.
3. Improve Balance and Coordination - The older we get, the more difficult it is to maintain one’s balance. Walking strengthens our lower body muscles, the same muscles we use to keep our balance and coordination.
4. Strengthen Immune System - The increased blood flow we get from walking helps our immune cells to perform more effectively. It’s been also observed that men and women who walk at least 20 minutes a day for five days a week experience 43% less sick days compared to the ones who don’t. It also lessens the risk of heart disease.
5. Increase Energy Levels - Walking gets your oxygen pumping and can be better than taking in your regular double-shot espresso when you’re tired. When you walk, your body produces cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Those are the hormones that help elevate energy levels.
6. Improve your Mood - Aside from increasing your energy levels, the increase in blood flow and circulation positively affects your central nervous system. It also produces endorphins, more commonly known as happy hormones.

Build your walking routine

Now that you know why we all should walk more, here are some of the best ways to begin your walking routine.

Start at a comfortable pace.

Start slow then pick up speed until you’re walking briskly. You should be able to still hold a conversation while raising your heart rate.

Keep yourself hydrated at all times.

Walking causes us to sweat, and sweating causes our body to lose fluids. Replacing those fluids is necessary to maintain our normal body function and reduce heat stress.

Give your body its much-needed vitamins and minerals.

Set your body up for success by meeting its nutritional needs. Eat more healthy greens and fruits and try eating less junk food.

As we age, we need to start focusing on our health more. For more tips on how we can care for ourselves as we age, you can check out our article on how we can keep ourselves healthy and upbeat in our 40s!

Getting into the groove of healthy routines may be difficult, but it’s a must if we want to treat ourselves the way we should; with care and utmost importance. — (TGM)