Top 15 Health Benefits Of Walking:

1. Healthy Body: Walking daily can lift your mood and will make you physically strong. Just walk for half an hour a day and you can feel the difference yourself. Walking is the easiest way to have a healthy mind and body. It is a kind of aerobic fitness which is easy to do and provides many benefits.

2. Weight Control: Walking helps in keeping weight under control when followed by good and healthy diet. Scientists also say that even without changing diet habits, losing weight is possible if you’re walking for at least 45 minutes daily. Walking elevates heart rate and burns some calories which help in maintaining healthy weight. So, if you want to maintain your weight then do walk for at least 30-40 minutes daily and you’ll see the results soon.
3. Beat Breast Cancer: Walking for health atleast 45 minutes daily is also beneficial for breast cancer patients. Scientists say that people, who do exercise like walking every day, survive more than inactive people. Walking regularly also reduces woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Walking alters the ratio of estrogen metabolites and makes it harder for breast cancer to take hold and that is why, it is really beneficial for ladies suffering from breast cancer.
4. Fight Diabetes: If you’re a diabetic patient and want to keep it under control, then walking can help you. Walking keeps your weight under control – which is the major cause of diabetes. Walking also involves utilization of more insulin, which improves blood sugar levels and thus it eventually helps in keeping diabetes under control and also reduces the risk of getting it. So, if you are a diabetic patient and want to control diabetics then walking can be a great and easy remedy for you. Moreover, if you’re not a diabetic patient then walking will reduce the risk of suffering from diabetes.
5. Healthy Heart: Walking is the easiest physical exercise and studies show that walking daily for 30-45 minutes can help in preventing heart diseases. Walking increases heart rate and strengthens heart which increases blood circulation through body and helps in making your heart healthy. Walking also lowers cholesterol levels which ultimately help in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.  So, to maintain a healthy heart you need to start doing physical activity like walking regularly.
6. Live Long: Scientist says that walking can prevent and delay osteoarthritis which is an age related condition and thus, it can add years to your life. It is also believed that walking 30 minutes can extend our life by 1.4 years. Amazing, right? Walking also prevents diseases which eventually gives us healthy and long life.
7. Prevents Miscarriage: This may sound a bit surprising but it’s true, walking during pregnancy reduces fatigue and related pains which reduces the risks of gestational diabetes. Walking also lowers hormonal fluctuations which cause uterine contractions and this helps in protecting against miscarriage. So, if you want to protect yourself from miscarriage then start indulging in physical fitness like walking which is easy to do.
8. Prevents Dementia: According to scientific studies, walking regularly can prevent dementia, which is a disease affecting brain function, memory, language and attention of human beings. Dementia is a very common problem especially for people above 65 years of age and thus walking regularly reduces the risk of dementia by up to 54 per cent.
9. Tones Body: Who doesn’t want a toned body? Walking regularly can help you in achieving toned legs, bum and tummy. Walking can give definitions to calves, quads and buttock muscles. You can also tone your abs with just walking, but for this, you need to take care of your walking posture too. Start walking religiously daily for at least 30 minutes from today only get toned body.
10. Provides Energy: Walking regularly provides energy to the body. This increases the blood circulation and oxygen supply. Walking is also considered an effective antidepressant which helps in dealing with depression. You can walk with your friends in group and chit-chat while walking. Isn’t it a great way to start a day? So, reduce your stress and anxiety by enjoying your walk with your friends.
11. Burns calories: Walking is good for those who are just starting to work out. An hour of walk everyday together with a healthy diet is a good tool to cut down the extra flab. The number of calories burnt is directly proportional to the speed employed and the distance covered while walking. This is one of the most important benefits of morning walks.
12. Reduces the risk of diseases: Walking increases the blood circulation within the body, which in turn keeps all heart related diseases at bay. Walking regularly also increases the bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and other bone related disorders. It is also said to significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer. This is another of the morning walk benefits that cannot be ignored!
13. Energizes the body: Walking stimulates the circulation of blood in the body and simultaneously boosts all metabolic activities. A brisk walk elevates the mood, perks up the energy levels and regulates blood pressure and cholesterol levels too. It almost works as an anti-depressant! Surprised about the good number of health benefits of brisk walking. What can be a better benefit to the walking exercise regime?
14. Best and easy workout: Walking is one of the easiest and most economical ways to stay physically active. This can be done almost anywhere and at any time. Although walking outdoors can be quite refreshing, it can also be done inside the house on a treadmill.
Walking also keeps the bones, muscles and joints healthy. Regular walking strengthens the muscles of the legs particularly the hamstrings and quadriceps.
15. Stress buster: Walking is directly linked to a reduction in the stress levels. Its benefits can be equated to those of aerobic exercises that help to calm down the nerves. While walking, the body releases endorphin which in turn stimulates relaxation.

Tips to consider while walking:

  • It is always better to work out early in the morning so that the body is sufficiently energized and the circulation of blood increases. Moreover a walk in the mornings is also favourable for the body to absorb vitamin D from the first rays of the sun.
  • A brisk walk is what is necessary to burn more calories if the target is to lose a few extra pounds. The faster you walk, the more calories you burn.
  • Do not walk after a meal. Although some say that walking immediately after a meal might improve digestion, it is a false notion as walking or working out after a meal affects the flow of digestive juices thereby hindering the breakdown of food.
  • Fuelling the body with lots of water while walking briskly is not advisable as doing so might harm the respiratory system. Hydrate your body with fluids before you embark on a walk or 5min after completion of the workout. Drinking natural energy juices like beetroot juice before walking can revitalize the metabolic processes thereby helping the body to burn more calories.
If  you are a beginner, pick up a pace of walking that you are the most comfortable with and keep it up for half an hour initially and then proceed to increase the pace and time once your body warms up to it. Remember that most of the benefits that you would derive from walking with respect to weight loss would be lost if the level of activity is not kept up. So it’s time you take out your walking shoes and walk your way to a fitter life.Thus, you will be enjoying all these health benefits of walking.