Fantastic Reasons Why You Should Begin Walking More
Walking is one of the most natural and useful types of exercise around. As well as being a fantastic way of getting around for free, walking also gives you a whole range of mental, physical, and emotional health benefits. Some of the benefits to expect include burning fat, and toning the body. But there are so many more benefits waiting for you to tie up your shoes. If you are thinking about adding some more walking time into your life, then the following are a few of the main benefits that you can expect to make it extremely worthwhile.
Tone Your Body
As well as the range of health benefit it brings, walking can also help you to look fantastic too. Your legs and stomach are where you are most likely to notice a big difference. If you walk quickly while moving your arms then you can also tone these effectively while walking. Walking also puts stress on your bones and joints, which means that they get strengthened while you do it. This brings you a number of benefits and probably the greatest of those is that you help to keep osteoporosis at bay as you get older.
Feel Full of Energy
One of the very best things about any type of exercise is that it gives you more energy by doing it. This is definitely the case with walking. For example, if you plan to start the day by walking to work then you will feel more energy to get you through the day. It is a really easy way to get more energy added to your day.
It Is Environmentally Friendly
It’s not just that you will benefit from your walks; the whole planet will feel the good from it as well. This is because walking is a green activity that is far better than driving or taking public transport. Just walking to work once a week instead of driving would make a world of difference. If you can do it more often, then even better. Vehicles contribute an estimated 30% of American greenhouse gas emissions. So by walking, you will be contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Other methods of environmentally-friendly transportation include running, cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, and car-pooling.
Improve Blood Sugar
One of the more unexpected benefits to be gained from walking regularly is that it can help to improve your body’s blood sugar levels. Of course, this means that it could make a huge difference in your life if you are looking to control diabetes in the healthiest way possible. When doing moderate cardio exercises, the heart begins to beat a little harder and the muscles begin to use more glucose. Over time of building a routine of walking, one will lower their blood sugar levels and make the natural insulin in the body work more efficiently.
Raise Vitamin D Levels And Feel More Positive
Having a low level of Vitamin D leaves you open to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and diabetes. Some studies have shown that many of us receive far less of this vital vitamin than we should do. One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways of changing this is to go out for a stroll in the sunshine. Even 15 minutes of walking outdoors could be enough to give you a daily boost of Vitamin D. Exercise in general is wonderful for getting you feeling good. Walking is especially good at this, because you will find that your mind gets distracted while you do it. If you feel down then why not slip on a pair of comfortable shoes and go out for a walk. You aren’t likely to regret it.
Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease And Improve Blood Pressure
One of the main benefits of any type of cardiovascular exercise is that it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. Add some regular walking to your life and you will find that it is a fantastic workout for your heart. If you have blood pressure problems then putting on your walking boots could be the ideal solution. This fun activity has been shown to help lower blood pressure levels. Studies have shown that walking just 40 minutes each day can low blood pressure if you are suffering from hypertension.
Lose Weight And Reduce The Risk Of Disease
Getting out and walking is also a terrific and natural way to lose weight. You can burn more calories than you might think when doing this, even if you aren’t walking all that quickly. This is one of the safest and most enjoyable ways of losing weight that you will ever find. Walking has been shown to help reduce the risk of a number of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma and certain types of cancer. Basically, you will be healthier all around once you start adding some walking time to your life. What's not to like?