If you are not able to do rigorous exercise and do not have time to join a gym or dance class, make sure you take some time out of your day and go for a brisk walk. Walking is a mild, low-impact exercise that anyone can easily choose. A sedentary lifestyle is considered to be the primary reason behind many lifestyle diseases like hypertension or high blood pressure, high blood sugar or diabetes, increased cholesterol levels, and more.
However, just walking is not enough, you have to keep in mind the speed of walking. Nutritionist Anjali Mukherjee shared on Instagram, “A few steps daily can lead us to a healthier life. The benefits of walking cannot be denied, but the pace at which we walk makes a difference. According to the University Virginia research, women who took 3 short brisk walks a week lost 5 times more belly fat than those who walked 5 times a week.
benefits of walking
“Walking also ensures that visceral fat (the fat that surrounds organs such as the kidneys and liver), which is directly responsible for diabetes and heart diseases, is lost 3 times more easily than with high-intensity workouts. Any kind of physical activity is a boon.” “For our overall health, but walking in particular has many benefits,” says Anjali Mukherjee. Here are the 7 benefits of Instagram listed by him:
1. Burns Calories: Helps in toning the body and reducing weight. Brisk walking helps you burn at least 150-200 calories. It also tones the muscles of the calves, legs and abdomen. If climbing uphill is done, then its benefits increase even more.
2. Strengthens the Heart: Walking is a cardio exercise, it helps to lower your blood cholesterol as well as increase your good cholesterol. It also controls and prevents high blood pressure.
3. High Blood Sugar Control: Helps in reducing the risk of diabetes.
4. Increases Memory: Walking is not only good for physical health but also for mental health. It keeps the mind sharp and improves memory functions. It improves blood circulation, thus keeping you more alert. The brain depreciation of old age can also be slowed down through walking.
5. Reduces Joint Pain: Walking protects the joints by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them (knees and hips).
6. Increases Energy and Feel-Good Factor: Walking during lunch break keeps you more alert for post-lunch work/study, which ultimately increases your productivity. It also releases endorphins (hormones that fight pain and stress) which make you feel more positive and help relieve stress.
7. Promotes Sleep: It helps you sleep better.
Also Read: 5 Foods That Can Fulfill Your Body’s Protein Need If You Are A Vegetarian
why you should walk daily
Check out Anjali Mukherjee’s Instagram post:
So stay fit and keep going.
Also Read: Health Benefits Of Walking 10,000 Steps A Day: Fact Vs Myth – What Experts Say
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the expert. Zee News does not endorse it.)