We live in a generation where technology has made our daily routine so simple that activities like walking no longer matter. According to findings of a particular study about 40% of adults do not walk at all and this percentage continues to increase by each wake. Unfortunately, they don’t know what they are missing out on. If working out just isn’t your thing then walking at least thirty minutes a day can be life-changing. It can transform you from an obese couch potato to a fit person. When most people hear this, they tend to disagree in disbelief because it is not hard at all and is done by over seven billion people worldwide. How can such a simple routine be of help when all these people are doing it in their daily routine? If you are among those who do not believe that walking has benefits then you are in for a surprise because it has myriads of benefits and losing weight is just but a drop in the ocean. Today we will highlight just the top five health benefits of walking not the whole day, but only thirty minutes to help you get started.
- It improves cardiovascular health
Yes, your eyes aren’t lying to you, walking thirty minutes a day helps improve your cardiovascular health, and this is backed up by long lists of scientific findings and experiments. For instance, according to a study conducted on 229 postmenopausal women and published in American Geriatrics Society journal, those who walked thirty minutes a day, lowered their risk of getting cardiovascular conditions such as heart diseases and attacks by 82%. If it does that to women who are already older, imagine how beneficial it could be to young blood. How does it achieve that? The same studies go on to add that it helps increase your heart rate by burning down the fats which tend to block significant heart vessels and as a result, your heart becomes strong enough. That results in improved circulation throughout the body.
- Keeps osteoporosis at bay
Even though in the past, osteoporosis was a condition which commonly came with age, it has become more rampant in today’s world because of most people’s lifestyles. It causes back pain, and the person easily breaks a bone even to a light fall. Fortunately, walking thirty minutes a day can also help keep this at bay. How? Well, walking helps strengthen our bones because of the weight it places on them. It also stimulates tissue renewal thus helping more bone tissues to be formed resulting in stronger bones. Besides, it exposes you to sunlight which is a vital source of vitamin D which as we know helps in the absorption of calcium. All these factors when combined help increases your bone mass and prevent osteoporosis. Besides, it also prevents the synovial fluid between our joints from drying hence also prevents conditions like arthritis.
- Improves digestion
You are probably wondering what walking has to do with your digestive system but don’t worry we are about to put that question to rest. Walking is an activity which involves the movement of all the muscles in our body (that is what makes it even more efficient), and this includes even the core abdominal muscles. This helps improve gastric mobility thus resulting in regular bowel movements. This aids in flushing out all harmful toxins from your body and that automatically means better digestion. So if you are having problems with your gut, taking a thirty minutes’ walk in conjunction with your meds will help reduce gastrointestinal problems.
- Natural energy boost
When in need of energy to work or focus on menial tasks, most people run over the counter drugs which seem to be effective immediately. Nevertheless, that only messes up with your metabolic system and causes them to be dependent. However, walking at least thirty minutes a day, for instance, taking a morning walk is a great way to kick-start your day. Reason being it improves blood circulation and also improves the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood which means that cells get an enhanced supply of O2. More oxygen automatically means high energy levels because the cells can carry out their processes more efficiently. Thus taking a thirty minutes’ walk in the morning offers you a natural energy boost.
- Improves mental clarity
This is one of the most known benefits of walking. When stressed up or when your mind seems to be excessively tired, taking a brisk thirty minutes from your workplace to a nearby café might help you get back on track. Reason being, the outdoor environment especially if you walk in a park or in a pathway which is less crowded and is green all over with a few birds chirping here and there, it helps your mind interact with nature. Thus stimulates the release of oxytocin a hormone which improves your mood and also causes you to relax. Therefore by the time you are getting back to your house or office, you will be less grumpy, and your mind will be ready to work again. So try it one of those days when you are at your lowest or when you just can’t focus.
In a nutshell
Walking has more benefits to your health than you ever thought. The good thing about it is that it is a low-intensity workout, in fact, you will not notice that you are getting tired. To add to its advantages is that you do not need any specialized equipment or to pay and also it only takes thirty minutes of your time hence more convenient because you can even choose to walk to work and that will not cost you anything or require you to sacrifice your precious time. We did not talk about weight loss because that is obviously part of the package. There are plenty of reasons why you should adopt to taking a thirty minutes’ walk every day, but today we’ll leave it at that.