Why Walking Is One of the Best Exercises for Health

Let us take a closer look into why walking is considered the best cardio exercise to boost fitness. This article also helps you pep up and get motivated to start walking to lose weight and stay fit.

Have you tried all kinds of exercises? Time to switch to walking is considered one of the best practical cardio exercises. The basic and best cardio exercise is long-distance walking. Apart from this, other forms of cardio exercises are running, cycling, and vigorous aerobic exercises. But walking still stands out as the best cardio exercise, which shows effective results in 2 -4 weeks if done regularly.

Walking- A simple and best cardio exercise

Do you know why walking is considered as best cardio exercise? Well, simply because it has great cardiac benefits. Yes, it has excellent benefits for the heart. It involves the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular) for the effective functioning of overall cardiovascular health. It is considered one of the best exercises to burn calories with effective cardiac functioning.

A good cardio workout helps pump oxygen-rich blood to all body parts for the effective functioning of all systems harmoniously. The blood supply helps stimulate oxygen and nutrients to all body parts. Ever notice a redness flushing of the face post-walking? Most of us see healthy redness post-walking once we sweat and burn calories. This signifies that you had a good cardio workout which helps stimulate the functioning of the heart, lungs, and endocrine systems in harmony with other body systems. Hence, walking is considered the best cardio workout.

To make walking one of the best cardiac activities at the end of the day, you must maintain the pace and intensity of walking. It is essential to be regular with your walking to make it one of the excellent cardio workouts.

Apart from this, there are many benefits of walking. Let us check it out in the next part of the article.

Benefits of walking

There are many benefits of walking, which are as follows-

1. It helps improve blood circulation and oxygen supply to all organs and systems
2. It helps in better cardiac functioning
3. Lowers the risk of heart issues such as stroke or heart attack
4. Control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes or its complications
5. Improves cholesterol levels
6. Manages and controls blood pressure
7. It helps in achieving a more muscular musculoskeletal system
8. It helps release “feel-good hormones.”
9. It makes you feel happy and motivated by boosting serotonin levels
10. Reduce stress and control cortisol secretion
11. Maintains a healthy body mass index to keep you fit
12. Maintains healthy hormonal balance to keep thyroid issues at bay
13. It helps improve brain functioning by preventing neuronal death
14. It helps boost energy levels and overall stamina
15. Supports boosted metabolism for a healthy gut
16. It helps improve the sleep cycle by initiating the sleep hormone (Melatonin) at the end of the day
17. Enhances maintaining balance and coordination
18. Enhances personality to boost overall confidence
19. Keep gastric disturbances at bay and allows healthy absorption of nutrients in the gut
20. Sweating out helps in glowing, radiant, and flawless skin
21. It helps improve the functional capacity of the lungs

This is amazing. Isn’t it? With so many benefits, walking is Sureshot considered the best cardio exercise, holistically working for all body functions.

How can you practice walking?

Walking can be done in two ways-

• Indoors on the treadmill at home or gym
• Outdoors in the garden, or simply taking long distances on the road

Walking can be done at any time, whether early morning or evening. First, get a perfect pair of shoes and lace them up right to get motivated. Then, hit the floor and sweat it out to burn some calories correctly, which helps lose weight.

How fast should you walk?

Get the speed right! When on the treadmill, you can set the walking speed based on your age and stamina. You can also opt for going slow initially and then increasing your walking speed.

If you are starting, go slow for a shorter period. Once you achieve with getting addicted to regular walks for two weeks, you can get started by focusing on the pace of walking to boost your speed. This will allow you to burn more calories and stay fit. It is essential to ensure you walk at a moderately fast pace to ensure you sweat out and continue walking for a longer time to show effective results. Here are some tips on how you can increase your rate, speed, and time of walking, which are as follows-

• Avoid checking time frequently.
• Stay hydrated to stay motivated to walk.
• Ensure to fuel your body 15 minutes before walking with protein foods like eggs or raw fruit like apples or bananas.
• Avoid going for an empty walk stomach early in the morning.
• Ensure to talk less while walking. This may make you feel tired and reduce the pace of your walk.
• Include more protein in the diet post-walk to maintain healthy daily levels.
• Maintain the correct speed of walking, which is fast enough to sustain walking for a long.
• Check for your breathing pattern, so you do not go breathless while walking.
• Think of happy memories or thoughts (such as achievements) to keep you motivated while walking.
• Stay moderate with eating post-walking, which may make you hungry—stock in for healthy foodstuffs.

How often should you walk?

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), walking for 150 minutes per week is recommended to control and manage overall health. Based on these guidelines, you can walk 30 minutes for five weeks daily. Start with a lower and basic scale of a 30-minute walk daily. If you still think it is not easy to go on a continuous 30-minute walk, you can break it down into the following.

• Three 10-minute walks per day post meal
• Two 15-20 minutes walk per day every morning and evening.

Sounds achievable and possible now! And, gradually, you can walk for a more extended period once you get into the groove in 2 weeks. You will enjoy staying fit and healthy!

Tips to get started with a walking routine

Thinking about how to embrace walking in your daily routine? Here are some of the best tips to get started with your walking routine which are as follows-

• Get the best comfortable pair of shoes with shock absorbers that works excellent for knees and spine
• Choose comfortable, flexible, and loose clothing which helps absorb sweat and keeps you at ease while walking
• Sip in water as and when required to prevent dehydration due to sweating. This will allow you to walk for a more extended period.
• Warm up before walking. Do some stretching exercises for 5-8 minutes.
• Do not forget to wear sunscreen before hitting for a walk outdoors or in the gym
• Get into the groove with your favorite list of songs to enjoy walking
• Buddy up with friends or join a group hiking and fitness groups
• Use a fitness tracker or app to set goals and accomplish them
• Check your weight and BMI regularly once a week to stay motivated
• You can also hit the gym to couple up walking on a treadmill with weight training exercises for better results
• Get the gym home by investing in a treadmill and ensure regular walks in the comfort of your home.

Conclusion

Walking is considered one of the best exercises to boost your health and stay fit. Coupling up with a healthy diet can work wonders for overall well-being. Remember to go slow and take your time losing weight. Long-lasting results can be achieved with better strategies and focus.