11 PROVEN HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING EVERYDAY

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SHARING IS CARING!

Walking is an easy, and accessible form of exercise for most people. It can be done outside or inside, at any time of the day, and has also been shown to have many health benefits for people of all ages.

It increases your energy, boosts your mood, and it may even help you live longer. A study found that the benefits of walking 45 minutes a day include the fact that people are more likely to live longer than those who do not walk regularly at all. It is one of the best ways to stay healthy, and get in shape. 

It doesn’t require any special equipment, and an excellent way to get the benefits of physical activity without going to the gym. In this article, we will discuss 11 proven health benefits of walking everyday, and a case study.

Key Takeaways:

• Benefits of Walking Everyday: Consistent daily walking yields a multitude of health advantages, enhancing overall well-being.
• Benefits of Walking Daily: Incorporating a daily walking routine improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and aids in weight management.
• Benefits of Walking the Stairs: Adding stair climbing to your daily walks intensifies cardiovascular workouts, boosts leg strength, and enhances calorie burning.
• Benefits of Walking 45 Minutes a Day: Aim for at least 45 minutes of daily walking to optimize health benefits, including improved fitness, weight management, and mood enhancement.
• Benefits of Walking for Exercise: Walking serves as an accessible and effective form of exercise, promoting cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and blood sugar regulation, and so much more.

11 proven health benefits of walking everyday

1. Promotes weight loss, and weight maintenance                                                                               

Any physical activity plays a vital, and essential role in weight loss. It helps with weight loss by burning more calories, and speeding up metabolism than sitting. Studies have shown that even mild exercise has a positive weight loss effect. Hiking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more is one of the most effective ways to lose weight.

A clinical study was performed to show the efficacy and benefits of walking everyday on weight loss, and concluded:

  “30 min of walking on most days of the week may be as beneficial as 60 min (in combination with diet) in promoting numerous additional healthful outcomes over diet alone following a 12-week weight loss program.”

It is also important to continue to get your steps, once you have lost the weight. If you are able, you can increase the distance, and the intensity of your exercise to maintain your weight. Of course, overdoing it can cause soreness, and burnout; so, remember that balance is important!

2. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease 

Physical activity also helps reduce the risk of heart disease, and high blood pressure, as well as lower cholesterol levels in overweight or obese adults.

According to the American heart association, an estimated 21% of U.S. adults – about 53 million people – have blood pressure that’s considered a little too high. Likewise, roughly 28% of U.S. adults, or about 71 million people, have slightly high cholesterol levels. 

Studies showed:

“Increasing physical activity can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3-4 mmHg, and can decrease LDL cholesterol by 3-6 mg/dL. Physically active people have a 21% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 36% lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases compared to inactive people.”

3. Lowers the risk for several other diseases

It reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, and improves blood sugar control in people with diabetes. It has been found that people who take steps regularly are less likely to develop diabetes, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, arthritis, and cancer.

4. Improves mood, and mental health

Getting regular steps reduces the risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Exercise has many benefits for the body, but walking also has many benefits for the mind. It can help you think more clearly and feel less stressed. It can also make you more creative, and patient with other people. 

A study by the University of Cambridge in England found that walking can reduce anxiety and depression by up to 50%. It also helps in improving memory, and mood.

5. Relieves stress

Mild exercise is a great way to start your day or get rid of stress after a long day at work. When you stress your body releases a hormone, called cortisol. However, strolling allows your nervous system to release “feel good” chemicals, known as endorphins, that promote relaxation, and keep you calm. 

6. Helps you sleep better

Taking more steps generally improves sleep quality, and reduces sleep disturbances in adults with insomnia or other sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  A recent study showed the following:

“Women who took more steps and were more active reported sleeping better than those less active. Within persons, on days that participants were more active than average, they reported better sleep quality and duration in both sexes.

Results suggest that low-impact PA (physical activity) is positively related to sleep, more so in women than men. Findings also showed that PA plays a greater role in predicting sleep quality than duration.”

The role of physical exercise in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) study concluded:

“a reduction in OSA severity (AHI), reduced daytime sleepiness, increased sleep efficiency, and increased VO2 _peak, independently of weight loss.”

7. Increases your energy levels

When you are sedentary, no energy is created; movement generates energy. If you remember Biology class, our bodies are composed of millions of cells. Those cells produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is stored in the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are tiny organelles, and powerhouses of our cells that help burn energy that we consume; they are responsible for cellular metabolism. Strolling increases oxygenation, and blood flow to the body. 

A study published in Cell Metabolism found that:

“Exercise — and in particular high-intensity interval training in aerobic exercises such as biking and walking — caused cells to make more proteins for their energy-producing mitochondria and their protein-building ribosomes, effectively stopping aging at the cellular level.”

8. Improves posture, balance, and coordination

When you take steps, you engage different muscle groups in your body, which helps improve your posture; good posture increases stability, balance, and coordination, keeping your bones, and joints at optimal alignment. It also decreases wear, and tear on ligaments, and supportive structures.

9. Strengthens muscles, and bones

 Everyone knows that physical activity builds muscles, and strengthens bones. Walking tones your legs, and abdominal muscles, and can even pump your arm muscles if you activate them properly. It has also been shown to increase bone density, and reduce the rate of bone loss.

Research revealed:

“Women who walk more than 7.5 miles per week had higher mean bone density of the whole body and of the legs and trunk regions of the body than women who walk less than 1 mile per week.”

10. Promotes gut health

When you exercise, your digestive system gets activated. Not only does this increase blood flow to your digestive tract, but also stimulates it to move food particles. In medical terms, this is called peristalsis, in which the muscles of the intestines involuntarily contract, and relax, creating a pump-like action that moves the contents forward.

It also helps keep your digestive system more regular, and may alleviate gas, and bloating. One study found that exercise promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut, which produce a fatty acid called butyrate. Butyrate helps repair the gut lining, and prevent inflammation of the intestines. Another study found that women who exercised had differences in the gut microbiota versus women who were sedentary. 

“Quantitative PCR analysis revealed a higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species in active women, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis, and Akkermansia muciniphila. Moreover, body fat percentage, muscular mass, and physical activity significantly correlated with several bacterial populations.”

11. Improves lung capacity

Ambulation is a medical term for walking. Even though it is a low-impact exercise, it is very beneficial for your lungs. Lung function is a metric defined by how much air your lungs can hold, how quickly you can move air in/out of your lungs, and oxygen/ carbon dioxide exchange in the blood. On the other hand, lung capacity is determined by the maximum amount of oxygen the lung can use.

When you are physically active, you condition your heart and your lungs. Your heart works harder, pumping more blood to your body, and your lungs, and using more oxygen, to eliminate carbon dioxide. To keep up with this demand, your breathing has to increase, so that this exchange occurs at a faster rate. When your lungs are healthy, you have a large breathing reserve that you may feel out of breath, but will not be short of breath.

However, when you have a lung disease, such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), then you end up using most of your breathing reserve making you short of breath. It is highly recommended for people with lung disease to engage in mild exercise, to improve symptoms associated with those conditions and improve lung capacity.  

This study indicated that:

“Ground-based walking training is an effective training modality that improves quality of life and endurance exercise capacity in people with COPD.”

HOW TO GET THE BENEFITS OF WALKING DAILY & HELPFUL TIPS 

1. Get a walkingpad

A walkingpad is a compact, foldable mini treadmill that can fit anywhere in your home, even if you have limited space. It can fit under the bed or a sofa, and in a closet. Unlike big and bulky treadmills, it gives you access to exercise anytime when you have no or very little time. It is also easy and a pleasure to use. You do not have to depend on weather conditions or other factors; you can get some exercise from the comfort of your home anytime you want. 

There are several different models of the walkingpad that are available and it is very affordable. It has an app that you can download to track your progress.

Plus, when you use this link, together with my special discount code HOLISTIKQUEEN, you will get an additional $100 off your purchase. Go ahead, get the walkingpad today, and get in the best shape of your life!

2. Park your car further

When you are going shopping, or running errands, park your car further. Of course, it is more convenient to park closer, but it doesn’t allow you to be active or get any exercise. When you do that, you become lazier and walk much less. However, if you park further away you have to walk more to get to your destination. It is a great way to get more steps!

3. Use stairs instead of an elevator

The benefits of walking the stairs instead of an elevator is another way of getting more exercise. You are getting a great cardiovascular burst while climbing the stairs and resistance training. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get a good workout. Climb a few flights of stairs and you will feel great!

BENEFITS OF WALKING DAILY CASE STUDY

I was working in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) in one of the hospitals in the Bay Area and was taking care of a patient who had COPD. The patient was requiring high levels of oxygen. In addition to COPD, the patient developed subcutaneous emphysema, which is a condition in which air gets trapped in tissues beneath the skin. The ICU team approached me and asked me how to optimize the patient’s respiratory status because the patient was deteriorating.

Unfortunately, in this case, some of the pulmonary modalities were contraindicated, so options were somewhat limited. However, there was one simple thing the patient was not doing at that time, and that was ambulating.

So, I recommended to the ICU team to get the patient out of bed and start ambulating. As soon as my recommendation was implemented, the patient’s condition improved. This proves that the benefits of walking daily do have a profound effect, not only for respiratory health, but also for overall health.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) – BENEFITS OF WALKING EVERYDAY 

Q1: What are the benefits of walking everyday?

Walking every day provides numerous health benefits, contributing significantly to overall well-being.

Q2: Is there a difference between walking every day and walking daily?

Both terms essentially mean the same thing, referring to the practice of walking regularly on a daily basis to enjoy its benefits.

Q3: What are the benefits of walking the stairs?

Walking the stairs during daily walks intensifies cardiovascular workouts, strengthens leg muscles, and enhances calorie burning.

Q4: What are the health benefits of walking 45 minutes a day?

Walking for a minimum of 45 minutes daily optimizes health benefits, including improved fitness, weight management, and mood enhancement.

Q5: What specific benefits benefits of walking for exercise?

 Walking for exercise offers various advantages, such as improved cardiovascular health, mental well-being, blood sugar regulation, and overall physical fitness. It’s an accessible and versatile form of exercise suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.

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PARTING THOUGHTS: BENEFITS OF WALKING EVERYDAY

The benefits of walking everyday are undeniable. It can be a great way to stay healthy, and fit; it is a great way to improve your cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gut health, boost your mood, and reduce stress, and prevent other diseases.

It is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world, and can be done anywhere at any time for very little cost. We have discussed the 11 proven health benefits of walking daily that make it such a popular form of exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes, and the desire to get up and go.

Please let me know what other benefits of walking daily you have noticed made an impact in your health?

References:

1. Bond Brill J;Perry AC;Parker L;Robinson A;Burnett K; “Dose-Response Effect of Walking Exercise on Weight Loss. How Much Is Enough?” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12439651.

2. “Doctors Should ‘Prescribe’ Exercise for Adults with Slightly High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol.” Www.heart.org, 2 June 2021, https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/06/02/doctors-should-prescribe-exercise-for-adults-with-slightly-high-blood-pressure-cholesterol.

3. Bisson, Alycia N. Sullivan, et al. “Walk to a Better Night of Sleep: Testing the Relationship between Physical Activity and Sleep.” Sleep Health, Elsevier, 26 July 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721819301056?via%3Dihub.

4. Andrade, Flávio Maciel Dias de, and Rodrigo Pinto Pedrosa. “The Role of Physical Exercise in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” Jornal Brasileiro De Pneumologia : Publicacao Oficial Da Sociedade Brasileira De Pneumologia e Tisilogia, Sociedade Brasileira De Pneumologia e Tisiologia, 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5344097.

5. “How Exercise — Interval Training in Particular — Helps Your Mitochondria Stave off Old Age.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 7 Mar. 2017, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170307155214.htm.

6. B;, Krall EA;Dawson-Hughes. “Walking Is Related to Bone Density and Rates of Bone Loss.” The American Journal of Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8304358.

7. “Butyrate.” Butyrate – an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/butyrate.

8. Bressa C;Bailén-Andrino M;Pérez-Santiago J;González-Soltero R;Pérez M;Montalvo-Lominchar MG;Maté-Muñoz JL;Domínguez R;Moreno D;Larrosa M; “Differences in Gut Microbiota Profile between Women with Active Lifestyle and Sedentary Women.” PloS One, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28187199.

9. Wootton, Sally L., et al. “Ground-Based Walking Training Improves Quality of Life and Exercise Capacity in COPD.” European Respiratory Society, European Respiratory Society, 1 Oct. 2014, https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/4/885?ctkey=ERJtw078014.