Go to any city or town anywhere in the world, and you’ll find people walking around. Only you know where you’re going, but do you know what’s happening to your body and mind when you walk around? Chances are you don’t, at least not to the fullest extent. There’s a difference between walking to a destination and just going for a daily walk. You’re more likely to feel the benefits if you’re not looking at a watch every two minutes. Even so, the physical and mental advantages are there.
The Physical Benefits of Walking:
When you think of exercise, you likely think of running, cycling, or perhaps weightlifting. However, walking can be just as beneficial. The physical benefits are nearly endless. Upon comparing the results of recent National Runners and Walkers Health studies, researchers found that energy expended in moderate-intensity walking and high-intensity running resulted in similarly reduced risks of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease over a six-year period. If you just want to stay active and healthy, moderate-intensity walking will get the job done, as long as you expend the same amount of energy, of course.
The physical, potentially life-saving benefits of a daily walk don’t stop there. Past studies have shown that regular walking can lower your risk of death by a massive 39% compared to no leisure-time physical activity. Problems such as strokes become less common among men and women who walk regularly.
Of course, these are more long-term benefits of a daily walk. If you’re looking to turn walking into a habit, it’s wise to consider the short-term advantages. For starters, with each passing day, you’ll begin to feel fitter as your cardiovascular system improves. This can lead to more long-lasting energy. Additionally, a daily dose of nature helps you become more acquainted with your area while also providing a break from screens, which is rare in modern times.
The Mental Benefits of Walking:
When you think of walking, you might focus on the physical act of putting one foot in front of the other, eating up the ground, and taking in the views. However, the mental benefits are just as, if not more, immediately prevalent. For example, a study from Stanford University found that walking boosts creative output by an average of 60%. According to the researchers, “Walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activity.” This process is called “divergent thinking,” which produces creative ideas through different solutions.
Put simply, a daily walk can help remove mental blocks and offer new ideas and perspectives. Psychologists have found that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout for relieving anxiety. As expected, a daily walk does a lot more than just promoting creativity. It also acts as a mood booster. One study found that a mere 12 minutes of walking resulted in a valuable increase in traits such as self-confidence and attentiveness.
Your environment matters too, as walking in nature is known to reduce over-thinking about negative experiences, something we humans are all too familiar with. As a result, you decrease the risk of depression. Of course, a daily walk is unlikely to completely alleviate mental wellness issues such as anxiety and depression. It will, however, be a literal step in the right direction. In these instances, it’s important to put one foot in front of the other, taking each day, and each walk, one step at a time.
The Surprising Benefits of Walking:
An article from Harvard Medical School goes beyond the most obvious benefits of a daily walk, explaining the lesser-known advantages to your life. Here are some of the best ones:
- Weight Control: Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people. They found that among those who took an hour-long brisk walk every day, the effects of the weight-promoting genes were cut in half. Consistent, purposeful walking is a great tool for weight control.
- Curbing Cravings: Research from the University of Exeter found that a small, 15-minute walk helps curb cravings for sweet items such as chocolate. It can even reduce the amount you eat in high-stress situations. So, not only do you get some exercise and fresh air, but you can also save money and your sweet tooth.
- Easing Joint Pain: Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain. Moreover, walking five to six miles a week goes some way to preventing arthritis from ever taking place. More specifically, daily walking protects the knees and hips.
- Boosting Your Immune System: Walking boosts your immune system. While risking the cold of winter on a walk doesn’t always seem like the most inviting idea, it helps protect you during the cold and flu season. A study assessed over 1,000 men and women and found that those who walked for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, took 43% fewer sick days compared to those who exercised once a week or less.
A daily walk has benefits you’ll immediately see, and some you won’t. The mixture of short and long-term advantages is perhaps the best part. The immediacy of the short-term benefits, such as feeling more creative and curbing a sweet tooth, coupled with the longevity of increased immune system strength and easing joint pain, makes this form of exercise the easiest and most attainable of them all.
In Short, Walking Has Too Many Benefits to List:
Daily walking has various benefits, depending on how often and how long you walk. While a 15-minute daily walk will help curb your cravings, it’s unlikely to have as dramatic an effect on weight-promoting genes as an hour-long walk. Nonetheless, a daily walk will have both short and long-term benefits to your mental and physical well-being. There are so many advantages to a daily walk that you’d be forgiven for forgetting some.
To save you the trouble of scrubbing along this video, here’s a summary of the best benefits:
- Reduces the risk of life-threatening issues such as blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease.
- Increases your creative output by as much as 60%, as it frees up space in your mind by putting yourself in different situations.
- Decreases over-thinking about negative experiences, especially if you walk in nature.
- Boosts your immune system, as a study found that a daily walk led to 43% fewer sick days among participants.
- Acts as an anxiety tonic, as researchers concluded that a 10-minute walk is as good as a 45-minute workout.
Conclusion:
The balance between the physical and mental benefits makes walking the peak all-rounder of the exercise world. Moreover, you likely do it most days anyway, whether you’re walking to the shops or catching a train. The only difference here is choosing to do it for yourself, instead of viewing it as going from point A to B. How, where, when, and why you walk will be different for everyone. One thing is certain, though, a daily walk will make your life better in some shape or form.
If you can, walk in nature. Not only will you think less about negative experiences, but you’ll also be more inclined to do it the next day. If anything, it gives you a chance to get outside and take in some fresh air every day, something that is increasingly missing in our technology-focused world.
FAQs:
1. What are the physical benefits of walking?
Walking reduces the risk of high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even death. It also improves cardiovascular health and provides a daily dose of nature.
2. How does walking boost creativity?
Walking opens up the free flow of ideas through a process called “divergent thinking,” which produces creative ideas through various different solutions. It can boost creative output by an average of 60%.
3. Can walking help with anxiety and depression?
Yes, a daily walk can act as a mood booster, help relieve anxiety, and reduce over-thinking about negative experiences, thereby decreasing the risk of depression.
4. How does walking impact weight control?
Consistent, purposeful walking can reduce the effects of obesity-promoting genes and help with weight control. An hour-long brisk walk every day can cut the effects of these genes in half.
5. Does walking help with joint pain?
Yes, several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain and protects the knees and hips. Walking five to six miles a week can also help prevent arthritis.
6. How does walking boost the immune system?
Walking regularly boosts the immune system. A study found that those who walked for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, took 43% fewer sick days compared to those who exercised less frequently.