Do people even walk anymore?
The advent of transport technologies has made walking a thing of the past for most of us. Even people that don’t have personal rides now book private cars to transport them from their homes to their destinations.
For those who can’t afford private cars, public options like buses, cabs, and trains are there to get people going.
In fact, the only set of people who still find a reason to walk nowadays are dog-owners. And that’s because of how crucial evening strolls are to our furry friends.
But as it ever occurred to you that there may be some benefits to walking?
Strangely, there are! In fact, walking is a form of exercise in its own rights.
Pro Tip: If you think you lack the motivation to walk regularly, get yourself a cute little dog like an F1B Goldendoodle, and you’ll surely have a million reasons to go for outdoor walks.
Walking Can Help You Lose Weight
If you carry an extra load of weight you’re willing to shed, walking briskly for about an hour per day can help you achieve your goal. This is a fact uncovered in one of the researches conducted by Harvard Health.
However, in these studies, it was also discovered that the weight-shedding potential of walking is more about the distance you cover rather than the pace with which you walk.
Walking Strengthens Bones and Muscles
It is a well-known fact that when you walk, you feel the bones and muscles in your knees and hips region feeling energized. The reason is because walking lubricates the joints in the hips and knees area and also strengthens the muscles surrounding them. By giving strength to the muscles, Walking takes the pressure off your joints so that they can handle more of the weight themselves.
Walking Can Ease Your Joint Pain
If you have joint pain issues like arthritis, walking can be your saving grace. And if you walk well enough daily, you can even prevent arthritis from ever forming in the first place.
Walking Boosts Your Mood
Even if you don’t intend to lose some weights or ease some pains, at least you want to stay active and energized.
Walking at least half an hour a day can give you that.
According to a California State University study, it was revealed that the more you walk every day, the more energetic you feel, and the better your mood.
Walking is so good for your mood is because it releases endorphins, which are chemicals that trigger some feel-good emotions in our body.
Walking Can Help You Live Longer
Several studies have reported a correlation between walking and human lifespan.
According to a 2018 study, it was established that regular walks could help lower the risk of people dying from cardiovascular disease.
In an extended study of the same year, it was further proven that walking at a brisk pace helps cut the risk of mortality by a minimum of 24 percent, while walking at an average pace hacks the risk by 20 percent.
Walking Helps Your Brain
You may not realize it now, but walking does have a significant impact on the human cognitive reasoning later in life.
In a study conducted by the University of California on 6,000 women age 65 and older, it was discovered that age-related memory decline was lowest amongst women who did a lot of walking.
Interestingly, another study revealed that adults who already show signs of cognitive concerns – such as decision making – can reverse this declination in as little as six months if they start walking.
Walking Helps You Sleep More and Better
This one is boldly reported by WebMD, who claimed that walking and stretching every morning are two activities that not only help humans fall asleep but also help them stay asleep.
Walking Boosts Your Immune System
How strong or how weak our body responds to external factors is hugely dependent on our immune system.
Thankfully, one can boost the efficiency of their immune system by simply engaging in more walking activities.
According to a report published on the Harvard Health website, it was said that in a study of over 1,000 men and women, researchers discovered that people who walked more (about 20 minutes per day) had less sick days than those who walked less or didn’t walk at all.
