It has long been speculated that your body can benefit from regular walking in more ways than one. Walking can be as moderate or brisk as you like, and people of all ages and physical ability can benefit from adding a daily walk into their routine. As well as the obvious benefits it can have for your body, it's a known mood lifter, and getting some fresh air is sometimes all you need to get your head back on track and free yourself from the strains of stress. Most importantly it's free and suitable for all ages and abilities so everyone can have a go! If you need further persuading to take up this sport, read on to discover some of the key health benefits that walking has.
Energy
You get home from work, school or college and you're so exhausted from the day so you just head up to bed and start indulging in comfort food. We've all been there, but this is the worst thing that you can do for your body and it will only make you feel more lethargic. You never hear someone moaning about how bad they feel after a walk because as well as the fresh air, walking boosts your circulation helping you feel more alert and refreshed. Going for a walk during your lunch hour or if you're having a mid afternoon slump is the best thing you can do to energise yourself, pop some walking shoes on and head out for a walk, whether it's 5 minutes or 50 you'll feel better with every step you take.
Heart Health
It's a common fact that any type of physical activity that gets your circulation going & heart rate up is good for your heart health. Walking regularly has been linked to lowered blood pressure and a smaller chance of developing heart disease. Regardless to your speed or pace, adding a regular walk to your routine will also help you to cut down the chances of heart disease.
Weight Loss
There are far more vigorous and intensive exercises if you want to shed a lot of weight in a short amount of time but walking is low impact, great for overweight and elderly people and a great way to maintain your current weight. Walking also works by reducing your overall body fat by turning this into muscle.
It's Preventative
We can't always stop what might inevitably happen to us at some point in our lives but we can help to prevent illnesses from developing years down the line. Studies have shown that walking prevents heart disease, osteoporosis, lowers high levels of cholesterol which can be fatal, amongst other deadly illnesses and cancers. We only have one shot at life, and when it's so easy to incorporate walking into your schedule you shouldn't have a second thought about it!
The best stress reliever
Stress can get the better of the most of us at times, and it can be hard to fight it when you let it build up over a period of time. Simply getting out of the house can benefit you and studies have shown that brisk walking has been as effective as antidepressants in cases of mild to moderate depression. Any form of exercise will help with stress relief as it boosts mood and releases those important feel good endorphins which are what makes you happy.
It boosts vitamin D levels
We can be in short supply of vitamin D during the winter months, especially when we might be cooped up in an office or a house all day. Although the sky might be cloudy, a sufficient amount of rays do still break through the clouds. Vitamin D is incredibly hard to get from other sources, so it's recommended to have little but often exposure to the sun to boost your levels. Don't forget to wear sun cream in the height of the sun though, especially in the summer as burning your skin will take away all the goodness from it!
Walking is an incredibly rewarding form of exercise both physically and mentally and the best thing is you don't need any fancy gym membership, or a car to get there, it's completely free and all you require are a pair of good walking shoes, so there really are no excuses! There really is nothing better than a brisk walk on a crisp cold morning to get your blood pumping and you'll feel better than ever for making it a regular thing! You can browse our full range of high quality walking boots here. What's your favourite thing about walking? Do let us know on the Waterman's Facebook page, Twitter and Google+.
