Is walking daily the simple shortcut to health?

Walking is highly accessible, it can be done by anyone anywhere.

It’s a form of cardio many people use to lose weight and improve their health as it’s a low-intensity activity that can be thrown in at any point in the day.

Let’s dive into the benefits and answer the question: is walking enough?

The Benefits of Walking

1. Exercise 

The obvious benefit of walking is getting active. It’s a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise that can improve heart health, circulation, and stamina. As well as improving health, walking also improves fitness by burning calories. Since it’s so low-intensity, you can easily burn hundreds of calories without feeling drained afterward, the only downside being it takes some time. If you prefer not to spend time exercising in the gym or through sports, walking is a good alternative, provided you do it often. 

2. Mobility 

Ever spent a whole day sitting down and feeling stiff afterward? Walking can remedy that. In today’s age, it’s so easy to live a sedentary life, you don’t even need to leave the house if you don’t want to. However, that leads to some complications, one of which is joint pain and stiffness. You don’t even realize it’s because you’ve been sitting around all day until you start getting active. Exercises, such as walking, can help lubricate joints whilst improving mobility. So the next time you’re sore, instead of resting more, slip out for a quick walk.

3. Mental health 

We live a life behind screens, and that (possibly) is why anxiety and depression are on the rise. Getting away from it all, even for a short while, can help improve your mood, and walking is the best way to go about doing just that. Walking, and exercising in general, release endorphins which uplift mood naturally. The next time you’re feeling low, tear your eyes away from the screen and get your body moving. 

4. Sleep

Exercise improves sleep, that’s a well-known fact. You sleep deeper and longer as your body recovers from exercise. But walking can aid sleep through another process too. If you go for a walk early in the morning, whilst getting sunlight in the eyes, you help regulate your circadian rhythm. In simple terms, that is the cycle of hormones that keeps you alert during the day and sleepy at night. If you find yourself struggling to sleep, maybe an early morning walk is the answer. 

5. Creativity 

We are naturally creative, and I don’t just mean in terms of art or music, but problem-solving in daily life too. However, we almost inevitably come to a mental block. We get to a point where we can’t seem to figure out how to resolve the problem at hand, whether that’s at school, work, or at home. If you’ve tried thinking harder, and still don’t make any progress, try going for a stroll instead. Creating some space allows you to explore other options, and walking is a distraction-free way to do just that.

Is Walking Enough? 

So with all those benefits, surely walking is enough right? Well, it depends on you, your goals, your lifestyle, and what you mean by “enough”.

For Person A, who only wants to lose a couple of kilos and doesn’t care all too much about how they look, walking may suffice. They may start walking regularly, lose some weight in the coming months, and then hit a plateau, but that’s okay with them because they achieved their goals. Walking is now a means to maintain those results. 

Meanwhile, Person B wants defined muscles and increased strength by gaining muscle mass and losing fat quickly. For them, walking is nowhere near enough. The intensity is too low to instigate hypertrophy and strength gain within muscles, and calories aren’t burnt as quickly as with other forms of exercise. 

For most people, walking is a minimum, a small part of a larger plan. You may start walking to achieve your health and fitness goals, but it merely acts as a gateway to doing something more. Because in most cases, you’ll need something more.

Takeaway

• Walking is part of a healthy lifestyle with physical and mental benefits 

• For most people, walking alone isn’t enough 

• It should be combined with good nutrition and a form of resistance training 

• If your goal is to lose fat, you should have a clear plan, that includes forms of cardio like walking. See Cutting Concepts for more information.

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