7 Benefits of Walking That Might Surprise You
Written by TYE Medical on Mar 28th 2023
Sure, there are many benefits of walking, and you can probably name several off the top of your head. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, combat disease, and elevates your mood. But there is more to this very doable exercise than you might think.
It just takes 30 minutes per day to give your body and mind a serious health boost. And thankfully, it’s something almost anyone can do. But if you have certain health conditions, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor first. Let’s review some of those amazing walking benefits that could surprise you.
1. Walking Helps You Live Longer
This isn’t some vague statement. It’s backed by research and statistics. You may be able to lower your risk of death by 18% with just 10 to 59 minutes of daily, brisk walking or other moderate exercise. And if you manage to eke out 150 minutes per week of moderate activity like walking, it could lower your risk of death by 31%. That’s huge.
And you can increase those percentages even more as you pick up the pace. This tells us just how important cardio activity really is, and walking is a simple way to make it happen every day.
2. Walking Enhances Brain Power
Growing and promising research backs this claim. At least one study suggests that brisk walking made the size of decision-making areas of the brain work more efficiently. Other studies showed that overall brain function in older women improved with regular walking. Why would this be so? Some experts think it’s due to the increased blood flow to the brain that happens when you exercise.
3. Walking Can Prevent Varicose Veins
Your risk of developing varicose veins increases with age. But walking can help push blood from the legs and feet back up to the lungs and heart, helping you maintain healthy blood flow. This is vital to keeping varicose veins at bay. You can also relieve leg swelling and restless legs associated with varicose veins, which means walking can help even if you’ve already developed the problem. If you’re predisposed to developing varicose veins, consider daily walking to help delay what may be inevitable.
4. Walking Keeps You Regular
Age can bring a host of annoying problems such as irregular bowels. And while a strong dose of coffee sometimes does the trick, you might also consider a morning walk. Daily walking can improve your bowel movements, making them more productive and regular. As you work your core and abdominal muscles it encourages movement in your GI tract and makes your gut happy.
A morning walk is especially helpful for seniors who are taking medications with constipation as a side effect.
5. Walking Stimulates Creativity
If you’re backed into a mental corner at work, can’t find a solution to a problem, or just feel generally stuck, you can often break free through movement. Get up and take a brisk walk to get those creative juices flowing. Thinking while walking can stimulate creativity and help you think outside of the box, which makes it a great way to boost your thinking powers as needed.
6. Walking Bolsters Your Immune System
Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system, especially after COVID came on the scene. It seems like there is a new virus threat daily. Walking can play a key role in keeping your immunity up. Walking jolts your immune system, flooding it with more pathogen-attacking immune cells. This keeps you from getting seriously ill if you catch one of the many nasty diseases floating around.
And also of note, some research has found that daily walkers spent less time in the hospital if they did fall ill.
7. Walking Soothes Joint Pain
It’s reasonable to shy away from walking if you suffer from joint pain. After all, we often hear about how jogging and even walking are higher-impact exercises. But when it comes to joint pain, walking can be a friend rather than a foe. Walking increases blood flow to those tense and tight areas around your joints and helps strengthen your muscles. This allows for a greater range of motion and increased mobility–and all from some daily walking.
And if you can’t walk for long, that’s okay. Just 10 minutes of daily walking can prevent arthritis pain and disability, especially in seniors. And since walking is a relatively safe and inexpensive activity, it’s accessible to most anyone.
Get a Plan and Get Moving
Once you’ve determined to make walking part of your daily life, pinpoint the time of day you could be most consistent. It might not be the same time every day, but having a regular schedule will help you stick to your goals.
And it’s okay to start small. You can commit to as little as 10 minutes a day and increase your time as you gain confidence.
