Is walking good for you? Experts say these are all the benefits of this simple exercise
America is on a fitness kick. Gyms are overcrowded, 5K races and marathons are selling out in record time and the fitness app market is expected to reach 30 billion by the end of the decade. Despite such elevated levels of health consciousness, the one aerobic exercise that rarely gets due credit is walking.
The reality is that walking provides many of the same mental and physical health benefits as other aerobic exercises, but with less effort and strain on one's body.
Walking is considered an important form of exercise for many reasons, but its primary benefit is that it's good for the heart. Its cardiovascular advantages include better circulation, which lowers blood pressure and one's heart rate, and improved cardiac output – the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body.
Is walking good for you?
Two recent studies published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), also show that walking between 2,000 to 10,000 steps each day reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, and decreases the likelihood of a premature death by at least 10%. It also helps lower blood pressure and can help improve mental health.
The added beauty of such benefits is that they aren't hard to come by. "Walking is a low-impact exercise that is easy on the joints, making it a great option for people with knee, ankle, or hip problems," says Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, PhD, a licensed psychotherapist and the director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic. Gontang adds that because walking requires no special equipment, gym membership or training, it's "accessible to all and easy to incorporate into your daily routine."
What are the benefits of walking?
Beyond getting one's heart rate up and the cardiovascular benefits that come from walking, the practice has also been shown to boost one's metabolism, improve cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of stroke, strengthen bones and increase one's energy levels. "Because walking helps strengthen muscles in your lower body, it can also improve knee and hip arthritis pain," says Michael Fredericson, MD, director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation division of Stanford University.
The JAMA research also shows that walking about 10,000 steps a day reduces the risk of dementia by a staggering 50%. "Walking can also reduce the risk of other chronic diseases such as diabetes," adds Gontang.
On top of such physical benefits, "walking has also been shown to improve cognition, sleep and mental health including mood and self-esteem," says Shelby Johnson, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Is walking good exercise?
"While walking isn't going to give you as much aerobic exercise as running does, it has been proven to elevate your heart rate considerably enough to count as meaningful exercise," says Fredericson.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends participating in a "moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking for 150 minutes every week" - the equivalent of 30 minutes each weekday.
And if a more demanding workout is desired, "walking can always be made more challenging by adding in intervals of higher intensity walking or including hills or inclines," suggests Johnson.
Can walking help you lose weight?
There's also good news for walkers hoping to shed a few pounds. "As walking increases your heart rate and helps you work multiple muscle groups at the same time, you absolutely burn calories and will lose weight if you do so often," says Fredericson. "And remember, even if you don't work up a sweat, you're still burning calories," he adds. Though the number of calories burned will depend on factors like terrain, distance and speed, "a brisk walk can burn up to 300 calories per hour," says Gontang.
Johnson agrees that walking helps you get into better shape, but adds that "weight loss is typically best achieved with an overall healthy lifestyle." That means getting enough physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet "and also includes things like getting enough sleep," she says.
"It's important to note that everyone's fitness level and goals are different," adds Gontang. "Consult with a doctor or a certified fitness professional to determine a safe and effective exercise or diet plan for you."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is walking good for you? All the benefits explained
