There are many types of exercise for staying healthy and fit, but they do not need to be strenuous to be an acceptable “workout.” The measure of a workout’s success is not defined by how difficult or intense it might be. Sometimes simple tasks like walking can give your body a lot of benefits.
Here are the many reasons you need to keep walking in your daily routine.
Keep Walking to Enjoy These Health Benefits
Improved Cardiovascular Health
When lifting weights in the gym, the logic is simple: The more you train your muscles, the stronger they will be. The heart also needs some workout, and walking provides that. When you keep moving, it helps strengthen the walls of your heart. The stronger these walls are, the more efficient your heart.
Stronger Bones
Similar to the muscles, bones also require exercise to become stronger over time. Walking requires the feet and legs to move and support your body weight. The more you walk, the more challenged and used your bones are, and the more powerful they become. As you get older, your bones may weaken, but frequent exercise such as walking can give you improved bone health.
Lower Blood Pressure
Because walking strengthens your heart, your heart would have better control over its blood distribution. A healthy heart can pump out blood with less effort, thus lowering your blood pressure—the lower your blood pressure, the smaller your risk of getting heart disease and strokes.
Increased Blood Flow
A healthy and well-exercised heart improves blood circulation. Any form of exercise that can keep your heart pumping, including walking, can keep the blood running throughout your body. When there is no adequate blood flow, you might feel heavy in the arms legs or even suffer numbness in the extremities.
Better Brain Health
According to a study conducted by the New Mexico Highlands University, every time the foot receives an impact from the ground, it sends a signal and pressure waves to the arteries, resulting in increased blood supply to the brain. As a result, you get an optimized brain function.
Walking can also help you improve your memory and mood. According to an NPR Report, going for regular walks can increase the size of your hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for creating and storing memories.
Conclusion
You do not have to be a triathlete to get a healthy body. A 30-minute walk every day can immediately increase your cardiovascular fitness, reduce your risk of developing health conditions, strengthen your bones, boost your muscle power and endurance, and more. It is a simple exercise you can perform without using any equipment or rigorous training. It is also some of the best self-care you can give yourself.
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