How Does Walking Improve Physical & Mental Health?

Let’s Talk About That Thing We Do: Walking!

Walking for many people is an activity that is easy enough to do and helps them stay in shape and take care of their health. There are different ways in which people participate in this activity, whether it be for a charitable cause, an outing with friends/family or for the sake of saving money on public transportation: we walk everywhere. However, we hardly think about it except when we start getting tired, but there is no doubt that it forms an essential part of our lives. What are some of the benefits of walking as opposed to taking a ride everywhere? In this article, we try to explore them.

Walking Helps To Maintain a Healthy Weight

When we think about being fit or healthy, our minds often paint a picture of someone working out at a gym, doing large splits or lifting weights that usually put us off from doing anything to improve our health. Walking is an enjoyable compromise in this regard because it helps you burn those calories without requiring much effort. You can also vary your pace according to the level that is comfortable for you and start improving your overall health.

Walking Helps Elevate Your Mood

When you start walking, your body starts producing endorphins which are also known as the “feel good” hormone and so end up feeling better after you’ve been out for a walk. It can also be a great exercise to gain some mental clarity because it helps divert your mind from the daily grind of things and helps bring your spirit back to focus on more positive goals, such as that of improving your health.

Walking Helps Improve Your Balance and Coordination

Walking is a great mental exercise as much as it is a physical one. When we are outside, using our two feet to take us further and further, our mind is communicating with our muscles using our network of nerves to move our legs. It is also at the same time calculating our position relative to the different objects that we are surrounded by; it tries to figure the best way to take us to where we are going. In doing so, it helps our body to balance itself and create coordinated movements so that we can achieve the benefits that we set out to gain by taking ourselves out for a walk.

Walking Helps to Strengthen our Bones

One of the best things that we can do for our bones is put them to work! When you go out for a walk, you stand on your feet, and that puts weight on your shins and your ankles, this helps reduce bone loss. Of course, you have to couple this with proper calcium intake too, but the two have to be done together to realize the benefits of walking for your bone health.

So without further ado, get your favorite sneakers on and go out for a walk!