We have some news that might help you breathe easier if you think that sprinting spinning strength, high intensity workouts, and other high-intensity workouts are the only “real” ways to work out. Austin Johnson, a Texas-based NCSF-certified personal trainer, says, “Walking is a great way to start building a baseline level cardiovascular and is a great form of exercise, especially for people who haven’t been active before or want to start running.” “It’s important for those two types of exercisers to start their routines at lower levels intensity to avoid injuries, and walking is a great way to do that!”
But we’re not talking about a slow winding walk. (That can be a great way to relax, though, if that’s what you want to do.) Put on your walking shoes read and read on to find out how to turn your next walk into a workout.
Why walking is such a great way to get in shape
There are many reasons why walking is a good way exercise. Here are some of the health benefits walking.
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Helps with blood sugar
If you have type 2 diabetes, a quick walk block around the block after you eat might help keep your blood sugar stable. Research shows that taking a 30-minute walk after eating can help control blood sugar levels and is an easy way to improve health in daily life.”Walking uses big muscles legs and torso, which need a lot of energy,” says Andrew Reynolds, Ph.D. “To get that energy, those muscles take sugar out circulation, which lowers your blood sugar.” He also says that taking a walk after a meal may help keep diabetes from happening in the first place.
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Good for Your Heart
You don’t have to do very hard cardio make your heart stronger. To get heart benefits, you need to do at least 150 minutes moderate intensity exercise each week, like brisk walking.
Walking more every day can greatly lower risk of dying from any cause or from heart disease, according to the data. One study found that walking at least 3867 steps day lowers the risk of death in general, but walking only 2337 steps day lowers the risk of death from heart disease. The more steps you take beyond these numbers, the better it is for your health.
Lessens the Risk of Dementia
Walking is a simple effective way to help the brain, especially for older adults who are physically able and don’t have dementia. Studies indicate that walking, especially at a rapid pace commencing in middle age, correlates with enhanced memory performance over time. This is particularly applicable to episodic memory specific, which aids in the recollection of specific events and experiences and is frequently impacted by Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This could be because walking makes blood flow better, which can help your brain work better. More research is needed to figure out why walking is so good for your brain. Walking is a simple way aerobic exercise into your day, which can help your body and mind get stronger over time.
Helps you lose weight
People sometimes forget about it, but walking is a great way exercise and even lose weight. If you want to lose weight, one of the most important things you can do is to get more exercise balanced diet.
Walker says that walking quickly at a speed of 4 to 5 miles per hour (which has been shown to help you live longer) can burn about the same number of calories per mile as running slowly. And because it doesn’t involve as much pounding, your body is less likely to get hurt, so you might be able to stick with your healthy habit longer and stronger. But if we compare minute by minute, running burns more calories because you cover more distance in the same amount of time and running is harder on the heart and lungs.
A 160-pound person walking at 3½ miles hour for an hour will burn about 302 calories. The same person running at 6 miles hour for 20 minutes will burn about 356 calories. That’s less than half the time, but about the same distance and a few more calories. Yes, walking is definitely exercise and activity, and it can even be all you do to get the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
Makes you feel better
Walking and other forms of regular exercise make you feel better right away and over time. People who walk a lot tend to feel better emotionally than people who don’t. It’s interesting that how often people walk each week is more important for their mental health than how long their walks last.
Also, going for a walk outside can help you spend more time in nature, which is good for mental health and may help you feel less stressed overall.
Lower Chance of Dying Young
According to data presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Conference, each 1000 step increase in daily walking steps up to 4500 steps day is linked to a 28% lower risk of early death. (Just a reminder: 10,000 steps a day is a common goal walking is your main form of exercise, but you can also work your way up to that goal over time.)
How Much Walking Should You Do Every Day?
For good health, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American College of Sports Medicine all say that adults should do 150 minutes moderate intensity exercise each week. To lose weight, they should do 300 minutes exercise each week. “Moderate-intensity walking would be a brisk pace, which for most people who aren’t hurt or sick would probably be between 3 and 4 miles per hour. Johnson says that this would be the same as walking at a speed of 15 to 20 minutes per mile.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. says that if you don’t want to keep track of your pace, you can just do the talk test method. You should be breathing hard enough to talk but not sing while doing moderate intensity exercise. Keep in mind that you don’t have to jump into the 150 minute goal if it sounds like a lot. Begin where you are and slowly increase your activity each week.
Johnson says that if you’re new to walking, the most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to do it all at once. Take it easy start with two or three days a week and work your way up to five days a week over time. Johnson says that if you want to start jogging after you’ve been walking for a while, you should gradually increase speed.
How to Make Your Walking Workout Harder
- Step 1 walk 10 minutes at a steady comfortable pace. Work up to being able to walk for 30 minutes straight every day at the pace you want.
- Step 2 walk half an hour every day at a pace that lets you talk but not sing.
- Step 3 change type of ground. When you walk on steep ground, your heart rate goes up all the time. This makes your metabolism and calorie burn increase.
- Step 4 go up the stairs. During your 30-minute walking workout, try to climb them every 10 minutes regularly.
- Step 5 do intervals. For one minute speed up, then for four minutes walk at a moderate pace recover.
- Step 6 speed up. If you want to try jogging, do the same minute-by-minute breakdown but instead of walking, do jogging faster interval.
