Health Benefits of Walking

 

Health Benefits of Walking

If you think about it, for a majority of us land dwellers, walking is the most natural way of getting about. It's no surprise then, that it comes packed with benefits. Let's take a look at some of them.

Weight management is a major reason why people take to walking these days. Walking paired with healthy eating habits is the best long-term solution to weight control. Keeping those kilos down also prevents the onset of a lot of harmful diseases.

Controlling blood pressure is another benefit that comes with walking. Physical activities in general strengthen the heart enabling it to pump in more blood with less effort and pressure on the arteries. So walk to keep you blood pressure at bay!

 

Cutting your chances of a stroke! According to a study this is possible by walking briskly for an hour a day for five days in a week.

Reducing the risk of a heart attack is another health benefit of walking. Walking for an hour a day helps do just this according to a study.

Walking also boosts good cholesterol. Physical activity helps lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood which causes plaque buildup along the artery walls and results in a heart attack.

Preventing need for gallstone surgery is another benefit realised by walking. According to a study published by Harvard, the need for surgery is reduced by 20-30%.

Walking is good for mental health. It is a good mood booster and helps reduce anxiety and depression.

Reducing the risk of breast cancer is possible by going for regular walks according to a study.

Another study claims that walking reduces chances of type 2 diabetes when coupled with a lower fatty food intake.

 

Walking regularly also strengthens hips thereby helping to protect against hip fracture.

Walking barefoot on grass is also said to do a world of good. It strengthens the toes and feet and for people with flat feet, this is said to be an effective remedy.

For those of you who believe that running is a better option than walking for losing the calories - News Flash! Running is a faster way to burn calories, but if you're willing to spend the extra time walking the same amount of miles as you run, you should lose the same amount of weight. Walking is also a better option for those with weak joints as running is hard on the knees and ankles.

 

Apart from these benefits, walking also helps to relieve pains for arthritis patients and is good to keep away back pains. It also helps improve the quality of sleep. It helps against osteoporosis and colon cancer. Walking is also said to cure constipation and impotence. All these health benefits lead to longevity. So make good use of those legs of yours' and get into shape soon. Your days and nights are bound to get better. Have a good day!

Source: India Syndicate