Is walking a good exercise?
Simple answer: Yes!
Research shows that even a slight increase in daily step counts can significantly improve your overall health. Here are some of the main reasons why walking is a very good exercise.
1. Cardiovascular health
Walking involves increasing the heart rate and pumping. In fact, each Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study may be beneficial in supporting cardiovascular health just like running.
2. Brain function
Moving has great benefits for cognitive health. Studies in stroke patients have shown that moderately intense walking increases the body’s levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, a protein that supports brain health.
3. Mood
Take a step forward to clean your head. A small study of young adults showed immediate 10-minute walks and significantly improved their mood. This study suggests that walking can act as a kind of active meditation.
4. Bone strength
Walking is a weight-bearing activity that emphasizes bones, muscles, tendons, and the ligaments that connect them for a more stable system. In fact, studies have shown that daily step counts and the amount of force placed on the ground in each step will more accurately predict bone density in the femur (thigh bone) compared to traditional measurements.
5. Weight loss
Does walking help you lose weight? Definitely! It increases your overall calorie burns and when combined with a healthy diet plan, it can help you lose weight.
It is also very effective in helping improve glycemic control. By lowering blood sugar levels and reducing insulin spikes, it is particularly beneficial in helping to maintain healthy levels of belly fat, also known as abdominal or visceral fat. This type of fat is sensitive to increased blood sugar levels and can increase with insulin resistance.
Can walking help you lose weight?
As long as walking is part of the overall lifestyle that produces a calorie deficit that consistently burns more energy per day than food (all foods and drinks), you will lose weight.
The exact number of calories burned varies. On the other hand, a person weighing 180 pounds burns about 100 calories per 100 miles on flat ground at average walking speed, while a person weighing 120 pounds burns about 65 calories per mile at the same speed.
How does it happen in terms of helping you achieve your weight loss goals? One study found that when people followed a low-calorie diet, people who walked at a medium pace for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week also lost an average of 19.4 pounds over the course of 12 weeks.
Those who went on a diet lost 15.4 pounds in the same time. Walker also lost a significant amount of weight from fat, in contrast to other sources such as muscle.
Walking can also help you manage the amount of calories you burn. This study examined 19 participants who were found to be hunger or produce more ghrelin, hanger hormone.
Is walking 30 minutes a day enough exercise?
Walking is a low-to-medium-intensity form of aerobic or cardiovascular movement. The US Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults perform moderately-intensive aerobic exercise per week at least 2.5-5 hours for overall health.
This is equivalent to walking five times a week. With that pace and frequency, you can cover 10-20 miles of walks in a week!
If it’s a little tight for your schedule and it’s difficult to find time to exercise, then note that guidelines also need to increase the intensity and reduce the total time to perform aerobic exercise for your overall health.
It is also recommended to perform muscle strengthening exercises at least twice a week. To incorporate strength training into your walks, consider wearing ankle weights, hanging hand weights, walking the hills, or tilting the treadmill.
You can also apply weight exercises, such as squats, tilting push-ups on the bench, or charge for walks for further health benefits.
Walking is undoubtedly one of the easiest and most accessible ways. But is walking a good exercise? Can walking really help you lose weight?
After all, these days, all of the most popular workouts are about getting hard, increasing strength and shrinking to a more or less sweaty puddle.
that’s ok! No matter your fitness level or your exercise experience, adding walking to your regular routine can provide serious benefits.