What a Daily Walk Can Do to Your Body

It is indeed intriguing what this simple act of movement, which we have been doing since we were around a year old, can do for our bodies. Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls it a ‘wonder drug’ and experts vouch for its transformational effect on our immune system, cardiac health, energy levels, and mental clarity. Hence it comes as no surprise that many of the prescriptions now include a daily walk along with other medications.

Now we all know that any kind of physical activity can hugely benefit our bodies but there is something that sets this easy habit apart from the rest. Let’s find out why.

1. Takes the weight off! – This one is a no-brainer. We all know that walking helps us shed those extra kilos but what we didn’t know is that researchers at Harvard looked into 32 obesity-promoting genes in a study that involved 12,000 people. They wanted to see if these genes contributed to body weight. Well, they did but the effect of these genes was reduced to half in people who walked for around an hour daily.
2. Reduces your sugar cravings – It gets very interesting from here. Studies conducted by the University of Exeter revealed that if one walks for 15 minutes, their cravings for chocolate and other sugary snacks to a significant extent. This also includes cravings for chocolates in stressful conditions. Worth getting out of the house for a walk next time we have those sweet cravings.
3. Decreases the risk of breast cancer – It is common knowledge in the medical world that physical activity reduces the occurrence of breast cancer. But read this. The American Cancer Society conducted a study that surprisingly showed that women who walked for seven or more hours in a week had a 14% lesser chance of breast cancer as compared to women who walked for three hours or less. It cannot be overlooked that additionally, walking helps in weight reduction and keeps women from opting for hormone therapies that are considered to be contributing factors to breast cancer.
4. Helps with joint pain – Contrary to the belief of some people that walking can cause leg and body pain, research shows that the habit can actually reduce pain related to arthritis. In fact if a person walks regularly, they can prevent arthritis from happening at all. This is because walking protects the hip and knee joints that are most at risk for osteoarthritis by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles around them.
5. Enhances immunity – A study that involved around 100 people indicated interesting results. If men and women walked for at least 20 minutes they reduced their chances of falling sick by 43% as compared to those who exercised once a week. Further, if they did get sick, the habit of walking helped them bounce back faster as they experienced milder symptoms. Hence it wouldn’t be wrong to say that with the winter season upon us walking can help to protect us against the cold and flu.
6. Improves blood circulation – Walking helps our heart by increasing our heart rate and lowering blood pressure. For post-menopausal women, brisk walking for only a mile or two can bring down their blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke by 40%, say researchers at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
7. Makes you happy – Instead of popping a pain killer, we should try walking instead says a California State University, Long Beach, study. Walking releases painkilling endorphins in the body and enhances the moods of people significantly. So the more we walk the happier and pain-free we are.
8. Detoxifies the body – When we walk, our rate of breathing increases. This leads to oxygen travelling faster through our blood which helps flush out waste products faster and increase our energy levels as we heal better.
9. Lowers the risk of mental decline – This is what a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, on 6000 women revealed. The women who were aged 65 and above showed slower age-related memory decline if they were regular walkers. Walking for 2.5 miles per day showed a 17% memory decline as compared to a 25% decline when subjects walked for less than a mile per week. And that’s not it. The University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that older men who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day stood to face half the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who walked less.
10. Gives you a sound sleep – Studies show that women between the age group of 50 to 75 who walked for an hour every day experienced lesser insomnia and had sound undisturbed sleep compared to women who didn’t walk much or at all.

A simple walk that requires no sophisticated gear and ado except for the right walking shoes can be a lifesaver. Hippocrates called walking the best medicine for a reason and his words urge us to reflect and take the first step toward the journey that waits to enrich us with great health and well-being.