Walking is a recreational activity which has multiple health benefits to offer. Be it a morning or evening walk, this simple physical activity seems to be quite underrated. Walking offers various health benefits to people of all age groups and fitness levels. It also helps in preventing or delaying certain diseases. Walking helps you get closer to nature and clear your mind of the multiple thoughts that cause stress and low mood.

Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is free and doesn’t even require any special equipment or training. All you need to start walking is a sturdy pair of shoes, and you are good to go.

Walking for 30 Minutes a Day

To get all the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can at least 5 days of the week. ‘Brisk’ means that you can still talk but not sing and you might puff slightly. Walking is also an excellent form of physical activity for people who are elderly, overweight, sit most of the day, or who haven’t exercised in a long time.

We all have listened to some of the benefits of a 30min walk like it helps to burn the extra calories, lowers the cholesterol, improves blood circulation, good digestion, etc. but today we will tell you some other and important benefits of walking.

Read on to learn the 10 Benefits of walking for 30 minutes.

1. Strengthen the heart – Walking at least 30 minutes a day, for five days in a week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by about 19%. Walking wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. It also reduces cardiac risk factors like cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, stress, inflammation and mental stress. According to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, people who walk 30 minutes a day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20% and by 40% when they stepped up the pace. Regular walking also helps people to recover faster from heart attacks and bypass surgery and thus, lowering their risk of suffering another heart attack.

2. Strengthens Muscles & Bones –
Walking helps in increasing your bone density and slows down the process of bone loss in your body. This simple exercise is very effective for your spine, legs and hips. Walking is a weight bearing exercise which builds our muscles and helps in maintaining strong bones. It improves bone and muscle strength, coordination and balance. This in turn helps in preventing falls and fractures and improves overall health and mobility. Walking can also stop the loss of bone mass for people with osteoporosis. Infact, one study of post-menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40%.

3. Reduces Joints Pain –
Walking helps in protecting the joints, including your knees and hips. It also provides more joint mobility and prevents loss of bone mass.  That’s because walking helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that support the joints. There is no blood supply in the majority of joint cartilage. It gets its nutrition from joint fluid, which circulates as we move. Movement and compression from walking “squishes” the cartilage, which brings the oxygen and nutrients into the area. 

Walking also provide benefits for people having arthritis, such as reducing pain. And walking 5-6 miles a week may also help in preventing arthritis, in the first place.

4. Improves Creative Thinking –
Walking helps in clearing your head and helps you in thinking creatively. If you’re feeling stuck at work or have been searching for a solution, research shows it’s a good idea to get-up and get moving.

A study, which included four experiments, compared people who were trying to think of new ideas while they were walking or sitting. Researchers found that participants who were walking did better, particularly while walking outdoors. The researchers concluded that walking opens up a free flow of ideas and is a simple way to increase creativity level and get physical activity at the same time.

5. Delays the onset of varicose veins –
As you age, your risk of unsightly varicose veins increases. However, walking is a proven way to prevent those unsightly lines from developing, says the Luis Navarro, M.D., Founder and director of The Vein Treatment Centre, NYC.  The venous system includes a section known as the second heart, which is formed by muscles, veins, and valves located in our calf and foot. This system works to push blood back up to the heart and lungs – and walking strengthens this secondary circulatory b system by strengthening and preserving leg muscle, which boosts healthy blood flow. If you are already suffering from varicose veins, daily walking can help ease related swelling and restlessness in your legs.  Also, if you are genetically predisposed to have varicose veins and/or spider veins, walking daily can help delay the onset.

6. Increase the Longevity of your life –
Walking regularly helps in adding years to your life. More importantly, it can keep you fit by preventing various age related conditions such as osteoarthritis, etc. Walking at a slightly faster pace could extend your life. Researchers found that walking at a brisk or fast pace (at least 4 miles per hour) reduced the risk by 24%. Walking also reduces the incidence of disability in the activities of daily living for people who are older than 60 years.

7. Improves Your Sleep –
Studies found out that people, who took 30-60 minute walk, were more likely to relieve insomnia than people who didn’t walk. If you walk regularly, you know that you’ll sleep better at night. That’s because sleep naturally boosts the effects of melatonin, the sleep hormone. A recent study found that people who do light to moderate intensity physical activity snooze better at night than those who are sedentary. Walking also helps reduces pain and stress; which can cause sleep disturbances.

8. Rejuvenate and Heels your Body –
Going for a walk when you are tired is considered much better than grabbing a cup of coffee. Walking increases oxygen flow through the body. It can also increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Those are the hormones that help in elevating energy levels. Walking is a very good booster for your mind and body. It helps to rejuvenate yourself by reducing stress, anxiety and depression and helps you to kick back in life with a positive factor. Walking rejuvenates your body by charging your mood and making you feel energetic. 

Regular walking will make you feel good; as it helps to heal your body make it healthy. It helps to improve your biological health, physical health, psychological health and emotional health resulting in overall healing your body.

9. Increases Alertness –
This simple aerobic exercise also helps to improve your mind alertness. Walking improves both circulation and availability of oxygen to the brain, thus increasing our alertness level. Another reason for mental alertness is the release of chemicals like adrenaline, which is discharged when we walk.  

10. Improve Your Mood –
A glass of wine or a square of dark chocolate can blunt the edge of a rough day, but going for a walk is a zero-calorie strategy that offers the same perk. Research shows that regular walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility, especially when you’re going for a stroll through some greenery or soaking in a bit of sunlight.

Finally when you make your walks social – you may walk with your friend, partner, neighbour – that interaction helps you feel connected and makes you feel happier.

So, what are you waiting for? Wear your shoes and go for a nice rejuvenating and healthy walk right now!