5 Health Benefits of Walking Daily

Walking a few steps daily and persistently can do wonders for your body. It not only helps you to carve your body symmetrically but also assists in keeping your body active.

Walking Daily: Everything you need to know about it

If you keep on using the elevator instead of stairs and take out your car from the garage for the pettiest chore, then let me tell you something "you need to reconsider your entire lifestyle". Walking is a completely free exercise. You just need to hop into those walking shoes and feel the magic yourself. Walking is a spectacular cardio exercise but to avail full benefits associated with walking, one needs to walk at a particular intensity with a determined pace.

Cardiovascular is an acronym in which cardio means heart and vascular means blood vessels. So, cardiovascular workouts have a direct effect on our blood vessels and the muscles of the heart. Sometimes we regard cardio workouts to be aerobic, as both of the workouts incorporate a greater concentration of oxygen into the blood. 
Walking at your maximum heart rate can have several health benefits.

The value of heart rate maximum differs for individuals based on their age groups. Heart rate maximum can be determined by subtracting 220 from the age of the athlete or the individual carrying out the exercise. One should walk or exercise at 80 or 85 percent of the maximum heart rate to obtain maximum health benefits. For example, We have a 20-year-old athlete name Mark and he needs to determine his heart rate maximum, then he should subtract 220 from 20(his age) and in this way, his heart rate maximum becomes 200. Two hundred is his heart rate maximum but it is only healthy to workout at 80 percent of subjective heart rate maximum. So, when we obtain 80 percent of Mark's heart rate maximum we get 160. Hence, while walking, he should maintain a specific intensity and pace until his heart rate elevates to 160 beats per minute.

The fat-burning zone in the case of walking is 70 to 80 percent of the heart rate maximum. So the primary factor to consider is your subject heart rate to obtain maximum benefits. Also, a healthy adult should take 4000 to 18000 steps every day. Here are a few of the health benefits of walking persistently.

Burning Calories by Walking:

Brisk walking can help an individual burn 150 calories or more if it is carried out for 30 minutes every day. However, the number of calories burned by the body depends on various factors such as the duration of walking, frequency of walking, weight, age, distance covered, and many more.

Improving Heart Health:

Walking can improve heart health by reducing the levels of LDL and bad cholesterols. It burns calories excessively. It alleviates blood pressure and energy levels. It is known to reduce the chances of coronary heart diseases by preventing the accumulation of fats or cholesterols in blood vessels. Regular walking can improve the strength of heart muscle and in turn, the heart doesn't have to work that forcefully to pump oxygen rich blood all over the body.

Improve your Mood and Fight Depression:

Walking can substantially increase levels of epinephrine, cortisol, and norepinephrine. The elevated levels of endorphins trigger feelings of happiness and contentment. Walking can help alleviate mental health and it can also treat depression, anxiety, and negative mood. Walking is a potent depression fighter. Most interestingly, it encourages all sorts of alterations in the brain, including neuronal development, decreased inflammation, and novel patterns of activity that foster feelings of peace and well-being. Walking also releases endorphins, potent chemicals that energize one's spirit, and make us feel good. Eventually, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the depression-feeding cycle of negative thoughts.

Improve Body Energy Levels:

Walking enhances blood supply across the body so that more blood can enter the big muscles in the limbs as well as the head, providing oxygen and nutrients for fuel, this is what makes us feel invigorated. Furthermore, the abundance of a type of protein located in the brain, termed brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), has been shown to improve walking and other forms of physical activity. Among other roles of the brain, BDNF could be responsible for how well you can remember, understand, and memorize.

Improve Immune Responses:

Walking briskly daily can help us combat several immune-related infections such as cough and flu. Researchers indicate that walking could significantly increase the number of white blood cells in the blood, boosting immunity. A study showed that the number of white blood cells increased exponentially, even after a five-minute exercise.

Walking promotes health benefits in a way nothing else can. It is an extremely easy exercise and could be added to our daily routine, without any trouble. So, wear those walking shoes and get ready to start a healthy journey with just a little consistency and vigor.