Walking is one of the easiest ways to exercise. Experts agree that physical activity is one of the cornerstones for good health, and walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active. There are also several health benefits of walking, such as reducing your risk of certain medical conditions (such as high blood pressure and heart disease), reducing depression, and helping you sleep better.
# Walking prevents type 2 diabetes: Walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.
# Walking is good for your brain: In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that people who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than people who walked less than 40 minutes per week.
# Walking is good for your bones: People who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than people who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
# Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression: Walking for 30 minutes, 3 - 5 times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression. And it helps you feel more energetic.
# Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer: It lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and colon cancer. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer, and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of this exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality
# Walking improves fitness: Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness.
# Walking makes you feel better: It increases the number of calories your body uses, which helps to control your weight. The secret to burn fat is that body has to be continuously in the fat burning mode throughout the exercise. Walking is definitely one such exercise as it works steadily. It’s a simple technique.
# Walking improves physical function: Research shows that walking improves fitness and physical function and prevents physical disability in older persons. It helps control joint swelling and pain from arthritis.