“Walking is the best exercise,” that’s what most of us grew up with, right? Essentially, walking is one of the better exercises you can do. Moreover, it doesn’t require you to be in the gym or to buy new equipment. It can simply be just you walking down the street. The phrase was actually born because when you walk, you actually work out almost all of your muscles including your legs, your abdomen, your thighs, even some parts of your torso.
In this article, we will be giving in-depth details as to why walking is considered the best exercise and the best medicine according to Hippocrates. Furthermore, we’ll also discuss what benefits you can do by walking; this is for you folks to quit Uber or riding an elevator and focus on walking instead.
Read: How much walking do you need to cut down calories
Why did our “walks” became less frequent?
With our modern technological advances, people made it far by inventing two wheels; then four, and it goes on and on. We often forget that walking is actually one of the basic hints and signs that we’re human; it’s the first and basic movement that made us “who we are.” With technology, going from one point to another has never been easier. Although this is not bad, we should also not forget that walking is an essential exercise that we should never disregard.
Walking for 1-10 minutes
For the first one to five minutes, your body releases energy-producing chemicals and increases your heart rate from 70 to 100 b***s per minute. In these early minutes, your blood flow is boosted and your muscles start to warm up.
Getting that up to ten minutes, your heart rate increases from 100 to 140 b***s per minute. In this situation, you’re now burning up 6 calories a minute. Although your blood pressure slightly rises, you don’t need to worry because it’s just your body’s reaction, bringing in more oxygen to the blood and working muscles.
Walking for 11-45 minutes
You will now begin to sweat as your body temperature rises. With more and more energy-producing chemicals, you’re now starting to burn 7 calories per minute. In this time, your body releases different hormones; they’re somewhat like a fuel for your muscles. In addition to that, these hormones are the hormones that treat asthma attacks and allergic reactions.
Getting past the 20- minute mark is just burning more and more calories. Furthermore, the body releases more tension and relaxes more. Getting to the 45-minute mark is good for people with diabetes as it deteriorates excess fat.
Walking for 60 minutes
If you reach this level, do know that you’re training your heart more, losing unhealthy fat, and helping your immune system work to prevent diseases. To add to that, studies also suggest that walking for an hour a day keeps stress and anxiety away because you are more relaxed and you release tension better. Making walking your habit also practices your left and right-brain activity.
Now that you know what you get for walking for a specific time frame, here are other reasons why you should consider walking everyday.
You get stronger legs
Your legs are the main tool in order for you to walk, right? This is why walking gives you better legs. Now that’s a no-brainer, right? Most people fail to recognize this and just think of walking as a normal part of daily life. Although that is true, walking improves leg endurance and strength. For better results and for stronger legs, try trekking, mountain climbing, and walking hills.
Better metabolism
If you’ll take a look at the above section, you’ll notice that for every minute you walk, energy is burned. You might think of this as a bad thing but no, it’s actually one of the best benefits of walking. Since you burn energy, your body’s demand for more energy becomes larger, making your metabolism faster and better. Walking an obstacle say from low to high ground yields better results because you burn more energy.
Losing weight has never been easier
In line with better metabolism, walking more actually helps you cut-off lines from those weighing scale. Not only that you’re helped get better metabolism, you actually also lose weight better. As you walk and walk more, your body tends to burn excess fat from the activity of your feet and because you sweat and absorb more heat.
Read: 11 Food You Can Eat Without The Risk Of Gaining Weight
According to some research, losing belly fat is actually simple: you just need to observe your heart b**t. You need to walk at a steady rate in which you breathe harder and faster. This way, you’re requiring your body to cope with the activity and therefore lose weight.
More vitamin D
Rather than hitting the gym, why not walk outside? This is especially beneficial if you walk while the sun’s out. According to some research, our bodies receive the better version of vitamin D from direct sunlight hitting our skin. Moreover, direct sunlight is good for both our skin and bones.
Better mental state
Good for people who cannot cope with stress and anxiety that well. As you walk, you make your body feel a little bit lighter; free from stress and anxiety. It’s actually better if you walk in greener parts of your area for a better and more aromatic experience. Walking has proven to calm your nerves, making your brain relax more than how it’s doing in a normal situation.
Read: Stressed Out? Here Are Simple But Effective Tips To Manage Stress!
Better sleep for you
If you’re the type of person who cannot sleep properly, walking can actually be a treatment for you. Earlier we mentioned that walking releases different hormones, right? One of the hormones it releases is melatonin which is the sleep hormone. With the boost of this hormone, we can have a guarantee that you would have a tranquil and a good night’s sleep.
It improves mood
In connection with the hormone-release factor that walking does, walking is one way of improving your mood. It releases endorphins which is responsible for the betterment of each and everyone’s moods. According to a study, employees who took a walk in their lunch breaks had better and more improved moods than those who stayed indoors.
Lowers blood pressure
Earlier, we mentioned the slight increase in the blood pressure when you walk. This however is a good thing because it just stabilizes the body to prepare it for bigger, better results. Walking overall, lowers and improves blood pressure reducing the risk of stroke. With you sweating, releasing tension, and gaining more oxygen, the risk for cardiovascular diseases are lessened.
Read: A Month Before A Heart Attack, Your Body Will Give You These Signs
Important tips to remember when you walk
- Wear comfortable shoes because you might gain more trouble than benefit
- Be safe. We said to walk in greener places but that doesn’t mean you can just be carefree. Be aware of your surroundings and be safe.
- Always carry water with you. You need to fuel yourself every now and then; dehydration is the last thing you want to happen.
- Remember to warm up and cool down. Most people fail to realize the importance of this, don’t be that kind of person. Warm up before you embark on your journey and cool down afterwards.
- Walk at least everyday. Walking doesn’t necessarily require you to take a huge chunk of time from your daily regimen. A simple walk back home or a few blocks would be fine.
Walking can be dubbed as the best exercises because it can do a lot for us than us lifting those weights and hitting the gym. Simple brisk walking or jogging can be more beneficial than we can imagine. Start walking now and see the changes in a few weeks.
