When most people think about an exercise program, they imagine hours of grueling effort at the gym. Turns out, the secret to improved physical and mental health is easy and absolutely free. Walking every day has been shown to lower your risk of death from chronic issues by up to 39 percent. Learn why walking is effective exercise and how to get the most out of your daily walk.
Walking is effective exercise & just as good as running
Avid runners will tell you that running every day can take a serious toll on your body. Oftentimes, runners experience a plateau when they continue to do the same workout routine. In order for running to continue its benefits, athletes frequently have to switch up their routine. Running is more physically demanding, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a better workout.
Researchers have found that the energy used for moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar reductions in risks for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease over a six-year period. A daily walk can improve cardiac health, alleviate depression and fatigue, and reduce your risk for chronic issues—all while creating less stress on your joints compared to running.
The mental benefits of walking
The mental health benefits of walking start even more immediately than the physical ones. A study found that walking increased creative output by 60% and shows that walking increases circulation and helps your brain with problem-solving. Another study found that 12 minutes of walking shows an increase in mood, confidence, and attentiveness. And walking in nature was found to reduce the tendency to ruminate over negative experiences.
Things get even more interesting when you learn that walking has been shown to improve memory and prevent the deterioration of your brain tissue as you age. Psychologists studied how exercise relieves anxiety and depression and found that a 10-minute walk is just as good as a 45-minute workout for relieving anxiety and boosting mood.
How to maximize your walking benefits
You can get just as good of a workout walking as you do running as long as you add some helpful variables into your routine. Your body tends to burn the most calories when you raise your heart rate and the best way to do that is to get more of an incline. Walking up and down hills adds more to your walk, which is why hiking is often the walking routine of choice for many. Adding variations of walking speed with lunging, striding, and keeping a medium pace helps your body burn more calories.
By adjusting your levels of incline, changing up your walking speed, and adding weights to work your upper body while you walk, your cardiovascular system will be more challenged and you’re likely to see the same benefits to your overall health and mental well-being as you would with vigorous running. Creating a music playlist to listen to that has both upbeat songs followed by slower songs will give you the intervals you need to get the most out of your walk.
Use a supplement that aids your endurance
The secret to any successful exercise routine is how you are caring for your body. Cellular health is the foundational building block to overall physical health. ASEA Redox Cell Signaling Supplement uses bio-switch technology that supports signaling pathways that impact hormone balance, cardiovascular health, immune system function, gut microbiome, and healthy inflammatory response. Redox improves the communication and health of your body at the cellular level, so you can be your best self.