There is no doubt that daily physical activity is required to achieving a healthier life. There are numerous benefits of daily physical activity. Regardless of your ability, taking time to devote 30-minutes daily to walking, greatly improves your overall health.
See how just 30 minutes (or more) a day of walking can aid you in achieving your health goals:
Help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight
Decrease risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, etc.)
Improve overall cardiovascular health (circulation, vessel health, etc.)
Strengthen muscles and bones (decrease risk of osteoporosis and muscle atrophy)
Improve energy, mood, cognition function, memory, and sleep
Decrease depression, anxiety, and stress
Boost the immune system
Increase balance and coordination ability
Decrease type 2 diabetes risk, improve insulin resistance, and blood sugar regulation (improve type 2 diabetes if you are already diagnosed)
Increase Vitamin D levels when exposed to sunshine
According to a study by Harvard Medical School in 2021, it found the following benefits of walking:
Walking "counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes" (Harvard, 2021). They studied the 32 obesity-promoting genes of over 12,000 people and found that the ones "who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half" (Harvard, 2021).
Walking helps tame a sweet tooth. They found that "a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations" and an overall reduction in cravings for sugary snacks (Harvard, 2021).
Reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer. Women who "walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week" and it also "provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones" (Harvard, 2021).
Eases joint pain. It was found through several studies that "walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place" (Harvard, 2021). Additionally, "walking protects the joints -- especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis -- by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them" (Harvard, 2021).
It boosts immune function. The study of over 1,000 people, both men and women, "found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less" (Harvard, 2021). Furthermore, if they did become sick, they experienced a shorter duration and milder symptoms (Harvard, 2021). In other words, "walking can help protect you during the cold and flu season" (Harvard, 2021).
How to Incorporate Walking into Your Daily Life
We all have busy schedules with many tasks to accomplish day in and day out. It can be overwhelming to even think of adding one more thing to that "to-do" list. Here are some simple ways you can do each day to make sure you get at least 30-minutes of walking a day.
Divide the 30-minutes into 10-minute time slots. Take a 10-minute walk before work, during your lunch break, and when you get home from work.
If you have an hour lunch break, take 30-minutes of that time to take a walk after you eat lunch. Not only will that provide you with the mentioned benefits, it will aid in the digestion of your food, reduce blood sugar levels, promotes a better mood, and decrease anxiety and stress experienced during a work-day.
If 30-minutes a day seems too much for you, start off with telling yourself "I will start with 5-minutes." After 5-minutes, if you feel up to it, go another 5-minutes, until you reach the 30-minute goal.
If you have a desk job, get up and walk around every 30-60 minutes for 2-5 minutes.
Take your dog for a walk or play with your kids at the park. Ask a friend to take a walk with you!
Last, don't beat yourself up if you are unable to take a 30-minute walk every day due to physical or other restrictions. Each step makes a huge difference! If you can only get 15-minutes in, that is awesome!
Your body needs movement to achieve better health. Let your goal be to move your body as much as possible (i.e. walking, swimming, biking, yoga, strength training, etc.).
Reference: Harvard Health Publishing. 5 surprising benefits of walking. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking. Retrieved 8/15/2022
Please Note: this is not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor for any concerns. This information is intended to provide helpful information and tips to achieve a healthier life.
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