Not everyone knows that walking is a great way to improve and keep your heart healthy. But how come?
Just 20 minutes a day can improve your cardiovascular system, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and increase muscle strength and endurance. It can also reduce the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is free and requires no special equipment or training.
Walking can be enjoyable
Getting out of the house for a walk can be a great way to break up the day and relieve stress. Alone or with the whole family, the great thing about walking is that almost anyone can do it and it doesn’t require a gym, expensive equipment, or a lot of extra time. All you need is a comfortable pair of walking shoes and you are well on your way to improving your overall health and well-being.
Physical activity doesn’t have to be vigorous or done for long periods to improve your health. Walking is low impact, it requires minimal equipment and can be done at any time of day. You can get out and about without worrying about the risks associated with some more complex forms of exercise.
It is also an excellent form of physical activity for people who are overweight, elderly or have not exercised for a long time. Walking for fun and fitness doesn’t mean just strolling the neighborhood streets alone. There are various clubs, places, and strategies you can use to make walking an enjoyable and social part of your lifestyle.
Completely inactive people will benefit the most from adding a daily walk of 20 minutes to their routine. Benefits may include improvements in many risk factors for cardiovascular disease including body weight, blood pressure and blood sugar.
A walk for your heart’s sake
Just like the rest of the muscles in our body, our heart needs to be strengthened through regular activity in order to stay strong healthy and strong. Thankfully, the simplest of physical activities, walking, can make a big difference.
Some may believe that you have to get on the treadmill or hit the sidewalk for at least an hour. However, this might seem out of reach if you have an intense program or you are not in the routine that involves regular daily exercise. The good news is that you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete or a marathon runner to experience the heart-protecting benefits of exercise. Two studies found that simply walking 20 minutes a day is all it takes to reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 30%.
Even more surprising is that when it comes to heart health: Walking is equal to, and in some cases better than, running. A study published by American Heart Association found that brisk walking offers similar benefits to running in reducing three key risk factors in developing heart disease: blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
As he said Hippocratesthe father of modern medicine, “Walking is man’s best medicine”.