The Benefits of Walking for Exercise: Lose Weight, Prevent Osteoporosis and More
From silly strolls to social walks, these easy tweaks make every step healthier and more fun
Walking is not only one of the most accessible types of exercise to add to your daily routine, it also delivers some of the biggest benefits for your overall health. Changing things up every now and again—like making your walks a social event or adding walking poles—can keep your exercise routine interesting and reduce your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and other health conditions that can affect your longevity. . Keep reading for science-backed benefits of exercising regularly.
6 benefits of walking for exercise
To reap the most rewards, make regular physical activity part of your daily routine. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week, or about 22 minutes a day. Here, some of the biggest health benefits of walking for exercise.
Brisk walking sharpens your memory
Pick up your pace when you get the mail or walk from your car to the store and you’ll experience better memory the same day and the day after. A new study from the U.K.’s Oxford University shows that walking quickly enough to get your heart pumping for at least 30 minutes a day (which you can break up into short jaunts) stimulates the release of brain chemicals that improve recall.
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Climbing stairs strengthens your heart
If you’re keeping your heart healthy by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil, you may want to also add walking up steps to your daily regimen. A new study from Johns Hopkins University shows that combining a heart-smart diet with stair climbing leads to a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular problems than doing either alone.
These tactics work together to tamp down inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and improve circulation, which are important for keeping your ticker strong. For best results, start with one flight of stairs a day and slowly work your way up to six or more.
No stairs nearby? Micro-walks work, too. When you’re watching TV or sitting at your computer, make a point to stand up and walk around for five minutes every hour. Canadian researchers found that long stretches of sitting raise blood pressure by reducing circulation. But simply taking regular breaks to putter around improves blood flow, bringing high blood pressure readings back down.
Silly strolls torch calories
Sure, you can lose weight with a regular walk around the block. But you can shed extra pounds even faster by adding high kicks, skips, backward hops and spins to your daily stroll. That’s the word from Arizona State University scientists who discovered that playful moves like these—inspired by the comedic character Mr. Teabag in Monty Python’s “Ministry of Silly Walks” sketch—burn more than twice as many calories as regular walking. Check out this video for silly walking inspiration:
Also smart: Walking up an incline burns significantly more fat than walking the same distance on level ground, say South Korean scientists. They explain that an upward slope activates more leg muscles (like your quadriceps), which use fat for fuel.
Walking the Nordic way boosts balance
You may have noticed more folks outdoors trekking around with what looks a lot like two ski poles. These are actually poles used for Nordic walking (like TheFitLife Nordic Walking Trekking Poles), an exercise that originated in Finland. It’s caught on like wildfire around the globe because it turns a regular walk into a high-intensity, full-body workout that’s easy to do.
Now, research from Poland reveals another important benefit: It improves your balance, making you less likely to fall. How? Planting each pole in the ground as you step strengthens key trunk muscles that keep you steady on your feet.
And if you’re not interested in investing in trekking poles, try walking your dog instead. Folks who take their pooches for a stroll at least four times a week are 40 percent less likely to accidentally fall, shows a new Irish study. Dog walks keep you active and nimble, helping you stay upright.
A sunny jaunt bolsters your bones
You’ve probably heard that weight-bearing exercise like brisk walking is a vital way to keep bones strong. Well, South Korean scientists have found a way to make it even more effective: Soak up the midday sun while you move.
In their study, women who walked outside in sunshine for 30 minutes, three times a week, had denser bones than those who walked indoors, exercised after sunset or simply sunbathed. Physical activity helps the body absorb sunlight more efficiently, producing extra vitamin D—a key nutrient for building healthy bones.
You can boost the benefit even more by adding a weighted vest. Women who regularly walk while wearing a vest filled with light weights (like the Aduro Sport Weighted Vest) or a backpack carrying a couple of books have greater bone density, found UCLA scientists. Known as “rucking,” this easy exercise puts gentle force on your skeleton, which spurs the production of osteoblast cells that build more bone.
Walking with a friend reverses stress
When tension starts to climb, invite a pal to stroll with you or join a walking group like those at malls and organized by local AARP chapters. While exercise on its own dials down stress, research from Stanford University shows that doing it alongside someone else reduces it even more. Credit goes to the support and encouragement others give you, which has a calming effect.
What’s more, meandering near trees, a lake or other natural areas diffuses tension fast, according to research out of Norway. Walking boosts mood-lifting endorphins, while nature’s beauty distracts you from worries. This allows your body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol to drop.
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