Anybody who has ever walked even once in their life knows the benefits of walking every day – it’s a great way to get exercise, clear your head, reduce stress, and promote better health overall. But, there are actually quite a few benefits that you might not have considered. In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 10 benefits of walking every day and see how they can improve your life.
1) Improves Brain Function
Any physical activity that gets your heart rate up can help keep your brain sharp, including walking. There are loads of studies showing that being physically active helps improve memory, brain function, and even math skills. A 2011 study even found that seniors who did regular aerobic exercise were two times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. If you have trouble remembering things, try getting out for a walk more often—it’ll be good for your body and your mind.
2) Reverses Memory Loss
Walking every day is a great way to keep your brain sharp, which is essential if you want to live a long life. A study in 2013 found that people who did moderate-intensity exercise—such as brisk walking for 30 minutes, three times per week—had brains that were 10 years younger than people who didn’t exercise at all.
When you walk every day, it prevents memory loss by enhancing blood flow to your brain. This causes an increase in oxygen supply and glucose utilization within your gray matter—two key factors when it comes to preventing dementia and other forms of cognitive decline. Plus, studies have shown that walking can slow down or even prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
3) Helps Burn Fat
Walking is a great way to burn calories, which can help you lose weight. You can use your walking time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts that will keep you entertained and distracted from thoughts about food. It's also a good way to focus on staying healthy as you burn those calories and shed those pounds! Some people prefer listening to music as they walk, but if it distracts you from your workout routine, then avoid it. In fact, some music styles may even cause you to walk more slowly, which will make it more difficult for you to reach your fitness goals.
4) Burns Calories
For weight loss, it’s important to keep in mind that calorie burning isn’t just about burning calories when you exercise. You can’t outrun a bad diet. But if you combine your daily routine with an active lifestyle—as most Americans don’t—you can reap some impressive results in terms of weight loss.
Studies show that people who get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day lose more weight than those who don’t get any exercise at all, even if they consume an identical number of calories. The reason? Physical activity boosts your metabolism, helping you burn hundreds or thousands more calories per day without even trying.
5) Helps Reduce Blood Pressure
Consistently taking walks every day can help reduce your blood pressure, which can keep you out of trouble down the road. When blood pressure is high, it puts strain on your arteries and increases your risk for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. Lowering blood pressure through exercise helps cut back on these risks—and taking a walk every day is one easy way to make sure you’re getting enough activity. One study also found that men who took at least 1 hour of exercise per week had an 11% lower risk for having a stroke compared to those who exercised less than an hour a week—and walking was included in that time requirement.
6) Reduces Stress and Increases Happiness
A study published in Health Psychology found that people who increased their daily steps by just 100 to 2,000 were more likely to report improved moods and decreased stress than those who didn’t change their activity levels. The researchers believe it’s because walking triggers dopamine release, which stimulates positive emotions. It can also help you sleep better at night—after three weeks of accumulating 1,500 extra steps a day (about 30 minutes worth), subjects’ reported better sleep quality. You can reap these benefits whether you walk for exercise or recreation; try not to use your car as much during your day-to-day life.
7) Lowers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
If you’re a non-exerciser, a brisk 20-minute walk is enough to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce your risk for diabetes. If you’re looking to lose weight, walking every day can also help with that. A recent study found that people who walked at least two hours a week gained less weight over 16 years than those who didn’t exercise. As long as it doesn’t hurt your knees, walking will also help lower cholesterol and improve bone density—benefits no gym membership can touch.
8) Makes You Look Younger
What’s more, walking every day can make you look younger. That’s right; it will reduce wrinkles and help smooth out your skin. This is due to how it boosts circulation, which triggers more collagen production to plump up your face and make it look fuller. Research even suggests that walking every day may be more effective than daily doses of Retin-A or vitamin C when it comes to fighting signs of aging. You have nothing to lose by giving walking every day a try!
9) Strengthens Bones and Muscles
We’ve all heard that exercise is essential to living a healthy lifestyle, but you don’t have to take up running or lifting weights to reap rewards. The key is regular physical activity, which can mean walking. Not only does walking strengthen bones and muscles in your arms and legs, but it also provides positive mental health benefits by helping reduce stress and anxiety. Just 30 minutes of brisk walking each day can increase bone density in both men and women; if you fall below normal levels, doing so for about six months can restore bone strength back to normal.
10) Keeps you Focused
Walking every day helps to keep your mind focused and alert. A study has shown that long-distance walkers have a reduced chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by up to 80%. Not only does it help you with thinking, but it can also help you with decision making. Walking outdoors in nature makes you more creative because being outdoors is good for your mind. Studies have found that people are most creative when they are in natural environments, versus an urban environment. Just try getting outside if you want to become more productive! You might just find something incredible along the way!
Conclusion
It’s not exactly a secret that walking every day is good for you. We could point out all of its health benefits, but if you have any curiosity or even just basic common sense at all, you already know that. So instead, let’s just conclude by saying that if there are things in your life—even simple things—that are holding you back from being healthier and happier, then there is no better time than now to take action. And with that action comes success, joy, and meaning; we hope we’ve helped inspire you to make those changes for yourself!
