We all walk seemingly daily but what would actually happen to your body if you went out of your way to work out each day through walking?
Walking every single day can be quite helpful for a person’s health and if you really look at it properly, could bring about some amazing changes. Walking daily might not sound like much but it if actually done the right way can really bring a lot to the table. The more you walk, the more you can reap the positive side of things that come from it.
The more you walk the more you’re going to do things like lower your risks of stroke and so forth. Walking is better for your heart health than a lot of things, and we should not be ignoring that link that seems to be quite present when it comes to walking. Walking might sound a bit boring, but it’s quite underrated.
NBC News wrote as follows on the topic:
“Walking can be as good as a workout, if not better, than running,” says Dr. Matt Tanneberg, CSCS, a sports Chiropractor and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in Phoenix, Arizona who works with elite athletes. “You hear of people ‘plateauing’ when they continue to do the same workout routine and stop seeing results. I see patients all the time that plateau from running, they will run the same distance, speed and time, day in and day out. You need to constantly be switching up your exercise routine in order to get the maximum benefit for your health.”
Yes, running is more physically demanding, which leads people to label it a “better” workout.
“While I would love to say that walking can be just as effective of a workout as running, I’m not going to lie to you. In fairness, the two really shouldn’t be compared against each other,” says John Ford, certified exercise physiologist, who runs JKF Fitness & Health in New York City. “Running, due to larger muscle recruitment, greater forces exerted and faster motion capability, will always have the proverbial leg up on walking
But while walking may not be a better workout, it may be a better exercise choice for some people.
.”
“With that being said, walking is a really good form of exercise and can help you reach your fitness and weight-loss goals. As a lifelong track athlete, who has marveled at race walkers (check out the Olympic walkers on YouTube!), I don’t scoff at walking,” says Ford. “In fact, walking is the suggested workout over running for many people. For example, those with knee, ankle and back problems and also for people who are overweight to obese. Walking is a lower impact exercise and can be done for longer periods of time.”
And there is no shortage of scientific research to back up the effectiveness of adding walking to your fitness routine.
“There are many reasons to walk for exercise,” says Ann Green, M.S., past heptathlon world athlete, yoga teacher and fitness studio owner. “Walking improves fitness, cardiac health, alleviates depression and fatigue, improves mood, creates less stress on joints and reduces pain, can prevent weight gain, reduce risk for cancer and chronic disease, improve endurance, circulation, and posture, and the list goes on…”
When comparing the results of the most recent National Runners’ Health Study with the National Walkers’ Health Study, researchers found that the energy used for moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease over the study’s six year period.
Taking the time to walk for just thirty minutes a day can help improve your body’s stiffness levels, help you become happier, and leave you losing more weight than you might expect to. Don’t pretend walking isn’t going to do anything at all, it can be a very important part of working out. If you’re going to do things, make sure you do them correctly.