WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. It is a known and proven fact that an active lifestyle is a boon to your overall health.
Walking is a great way to start with to get the daily physical activity needed. It does not require any special skills. No membership fees nor expensive equipments needed. These are a few benefits of walking that you should know to keep you moving.
• Walking releases endorphins. Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your sense of well-being. Walking is good for your mental wellness.
• Walking can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis. One study conducted on post menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduces their risk of hip fracture by 40%.
• Walking brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart.
• Walking protects the joints, especially the knees and hips. The majority of joint cartilages has no direct blood supply. It gets the required nutrients from the circulation joint fluid as we move. Movement and compression for walking “squishes” the cartilages bringing oxygen and nutrients to the area.
• Walking counteracts the effects of weight promoting genes. Harvard researches looked at 12, 000 people with obesity promoting genes. They discovered that the effect of these genes were reduced by half in the participants who walked briskly for an hour a day.
A walk a day, keeps the doctor away!
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