8 Reasons Why You Should Brisk Walk Every Day

Regular brisk walking does wonders for your physical and mental well-being.

Nowadays, anyone and everyone has a free piece of advice to give about health and fitness. It's easy to get lost in the do’s and don’ts, the shoulds and shouldn’ts. You can’t possibly cope up with all that’s being said and done, can you? So what should you really, really do in that case?

Fitness, at the end of the day, is a personal journey. There is only so much other people can tell you to do (or not do). Ultimately, you have to listen to your body and do what feels right for it. The ‘what’ and the ‘how much’ doesn’t matter, as long as you’re doing something, anything, to keep yourself fit. The effort is what counts, not the magnitude or the intensity - well, at least in the beginning.

If you can’t get yourself to do hardcore strengh exercises or play one of those high-energy sports, that’s okay. Take up something light and less intimidating, like brisk walking for example, which has its own advantages. Not only does brisk walking increase your energy and put you in a better mood, but also improve your cardiovascular health and improve your balance and coordination. However, to reap any of these benefits, you need to stick to the exercise for a long period of time. It is recommended that you brisk walk for 30 minutes to 1 hour every day for the results to sustain over time.

AskMen India gives you 8 reasons why you should brisk walk for at least half an hour on an everyday basis:

Burns calories

Walking makes for an easy, yet effective aerobic exercise that helps you maintain a healthy weight. The faster you walk, the more calories you burn and the sooner you can shed the excess fat on your stomach and thighs.

That is why brisk walking is recommended to people who are looking for a sustainable way to lose weight. It is something you should do every day for an hour to keep yourself in shape.

Increases cardiovascular fitness

Walking is a great cardiovascular exercise that reduces the risk of heart diseases and even cures existing problems such as coronary blockages and blood pressure. It does so by boosting the circulation of oxygenated blood across the organs that are responsible for carrying out core functions on a daily basis. It transports energy and nutrients to all the cells and revitalises the body as a result.

Tones your muscles

Brisk walking improves the circulation of blood in your legs, thus alleviating any stiffness accumulated in them. It helps burn calories and shed fat deposited in the thighs and tones the muscles underneath them. This makes your legs look stronger, more structured and shapely.

The quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and shins play a vital role in keeping the mobility and flexibility of your legs intact and brisk walking makes sure that these muscles are in good shape.

Alleviates joint pain

Your joints tend to become stiff and rigid after a long-drawn phase of inactivity. This is especially true for people leading a sedentary lifestyle, which is more than common in today’s times. It’s very important to get your joints moving from time to time, by subjecting them to some or the other form of activity.

When the joints are constantly in use, by brisk walking for instance, their strength, stability and flexibility improves simultaneously. This makes joint pain and injuries less likely.

Strengthens bones

Apart from shedding fat and toning muscles, brisk walking also strengthens the bones in your body, especially those in your legs. Brisk walking is considered to be a weight-bearing exercise as the entire weight of your body is borne by your legs while you walk.

This makes the bones bearing the weight work against gravity and become stronger, more solid as a result. The resistance created during brisk walking increases bone density.

Boosts energy

As mentioned above, brisk walking is a cardiovascular exercise that improves blood circulation across the body. The oxygen and nutrients transported in this blood reach all the cells in the body and energise them to perform their functions more effectively.

This means that by simply walking briskly every day, you can replenish your body’s energy levels and feel more active and agile.

Improves balance and coordination

Brisk walking involves constant and consistent movement of the legs and to some extent, the arms as well. Your feet need to work in tandem and take alternate steps to help you cover a distance.

While this may seem like an effortless thing that requires no thought, it does in fact need coordination that is supported by the subconscious mind.

By brisk walking everyday, you train your brain to send coordinated signals to the muscles in your legs. You also see an improvement in your balance and stability.

Puts you in a better mood

As brisk walking is an aerobic exercise, it releases happy hormones like endorphins in your system, which instantly put you in a better mood. It has proven to be an effective antidote to a foul mood or a seemingly inescapable episode of overthinking,anxiety or feeling low. A 30-minute brisk walk every day can substantially improve your mental health.

Make a resolution to brisk walk for at least 30 minutes a day and find yourself feeling fit, both physically and mentally.

Strengthens Muscles And Joints

Incorporating brisk walking into your routine can immensely benefit the overall robustness of your body. You can improve your muscle strength and loosen up stiff joints by bettering lubrication and loosening muscles with consistent brisk walking. It is also on the low-intensity side of the exercise spectrum and thus is highly recommended for those with conditions that may not allow for straining oneself. If you are susceptible to back pain that is prolonged, brisk walking can help provide some relief. Conscious walking helps in increasing blood circulation, thereby enabling flexibility around your lower back. Your legs also gain strength as you build muscle and endurance by brisk walking regularly.

Tip: Ensure you are wearing the right footwear, especially if you would be walking on a harder surface such as pavement, to protect yourself against joint-pain.

Better Metabolism

As you walk, your body requires more energy. Walking at a quicker pace will better your body’s metabolism and help utilise body strength efficiently. It stimulates digestion in your body. Regular brisk walking can help with the breakdown of your food. It helps to digest food properly and cuts on the retention of fats. It enhances the movement of food through your body and helps in making more of the nutrition it’s getting. If you intend on losing belly fat, the increased metabolism can work in your favour.

Tip: Make sure you are increasing your pace as you walk.

Regulates Hormones

Regularly taking some time to take a break from work and such to engage in physical invigoration can have a significant impact on hormonal health.

Not only can that lower the body’s stress hormones such as cortisol (the hormone that can cause serious threats to heart health and blood pressure upon prolonged exposure), it also generates endorphins, hormones that interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain.

Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. It can also help ease health issues stemming from hormonal imbalances such as PCOD.

Tip: Be diligent about consistency. To see real longterm improvements, the short term (hormonal) regulations have to be regular.

Helps Maintain Healthy Body Weight

Brisk walking requires you to burn more energy in the form of calories, and enhances both, your lean muscles and your metabolism, creating the perfect combination for maintaining healthy body weight and physique. This is done by either helping to reduce any excess or gain the deficit in form of muscles. If you want to lose belly fat, you can walk at a steady speed with faster steps which makes your heart beat faster and makes you breathe harder. This method gets you in the fat-burning zone and helps you rapidly lose the calories you consumed.

Tip: A healthy diet and proper nutritional resources for your body will also dictate the kind of results you achieve.

Improves Overall Health

FAQS

Q. What is the right time for a brisk walk?

A. Although it all comes down to personal preference, many argue that mornings are the best to walk; you get a great and energetic start to your day. It is best to go on an empty stomach, but if you can’t, you can have a light breakfast such as a fruit or a smoothie before you go.

Q. Is it necessary to keep a fast pace

A. To reap maximum health benefits, it is necessary to keep a faster pace than a leisurely stroll. Having said that, one must understand one’s own body and how much it can manage. Your pace may not match another person’s, but find a pace that helps you sweat and get your heart rate up. That way you will ensure maximum benefit.

Q. How long should the walk be?

A. It differs from person to person, but the minimum time you need to spend on walking is 30 minutes at the very least. An average of 45 minutes to an hour is best, five times a week

The correct way is to engage the whole body by keeping the head up, lengthening the back but keeping shoulders down, swinging the arms, elbows preferably locked, while stepping from heel to toe. Be sure to engage your core.

The health benefits of brisk walking are immense. There is a direct correlation between regular physical exercise and better cardiovascular health and blood pressure. Brisk walking can also help avoid the likes of diabetes as it increases insulin sensitivity.

The cells in your muscles can function better to gain glucose from energy. Other benefits include lower blood pressure, better blood circulation, better oxygen circulation, stronger organs, balanced cholesterol, lower blood sugar lower chances of certain cancers or bone diseases like osteoporosis, the list is endless!

Tip: Try to keep a track of your heart rate. The ideal number to look for would be 110-120 beats per minute (bpm) but that may vary from person to person.

Energetic Start To The Day

Starting your day with a walk may give you more energy throughout the day. Additionally, one actively has to choose to embark on a workout before every single session. When more make that choice over and over, it solidifies a commitment with their own selves.

With or without the realisation dawning upon them, they would start making healthier choices in the rest of their day such as snacking on fruit or taking the stairs up a couple of floors instead of the elevator, etc. It also helps that a workout helps one feel more energised, which would make cravings less likely.

Tip: Ensure you are not engaging in unhealthy behaviours and justifying it with the walk.

Improved Mental Health

As health improves, the hormones that play a major part in how we feel become more regulated, the moods begin to rise, and overall mental health and well-being improves. These effects of brisk walking are often apparent from day one but can become more permanent with time.

There is also the added bonus of better circulation of oxygen, especially if you are walking in an area with some greenery. Today the world is such that we tend to neglect our own well-being when it comes to work, despite hearing harrowing warnings from health professionals.

A walk every day can also double as a much-needed break. It can also help with, self-esteem, mental clarity and better sleep, therefore, increasing overall productivity.

Tip: Every once in a while, attempt walking without any distractions such as the phone, completely focused on the act of walking and the world around you.

Requires Much Less Commitment And Resources

Brisk walking is one of the most convenient forms of exercise that can sustainably be added to anyone’s routine. It requires none to minimal equipment, depending on personal preference, and not as much commitment as a gym would, for instance. One can engage in a productive session virtually anywhere. It also allows you to keep things interesting by trying out different routes or even terrains.

Tip: Make brisk walking an active part of your life, like changing clothes at work and walking home, for instance, as this would leave less chance for you to opt-out.