Health benefits of walking

It is so easy to walk. It is an exercise that requires no special equipment, no scheduling, no specific location. All you need is to stand up and make the first step - and off you go. You can be young, old, thin, too round at the corners - some exercises will not suit you then. Not walking. It is for everybody.

Walking for your heart

Walking greatly reduces risk of suffering a stroke or developing heart disease. A half an hour worth of brisk walk can reduce risk of heart attack in women for as much as forty percent, while men who walk briskly for an hour every day reduce risk of heart attack for up to fifty percent.

Heart diseases and high bad cholesterol (LDL) levels go hand in hand. Walking helps to reduce LDL levels and it helps to increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels. This is another reason why walking helps you to remain healthy besides just making you fit.

Another risk factor for developing heart disease or suffering a stroke is high blood pressure. Regular brisk walking helps to lower high blood pressure. If you do not have problems with high blood pressure, it does not mean that it will stay that way. But, if you walk regularly, it will help you to maintain your blood pressure levels just where they are at the normal level.

Walking against diabetes

Type 2 diabetes typically starts to affect people once they are adults. People with bad diet habits and overweight people are more likely to experience type 2 diabetes onsets. Weight control through healthy diet and brisk walks both reduces obesity and lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Walking for bones

Bones grow stronger when stressed the right way, as by walking. This increases their strength and elasticity and significantly lowers risk of hip fractures or various fractures caused by fall. Regular walking is highly recommended for women over the age of forty, who are at risk of osteoporosis and loss of bone mass, as it will help their bones to remain strong and reduce rate of bone loss.

Walking to the peace of mind

Walking helps to relieve stress and prevent depression, and makes you feel more powerful and more able than those people who stayed at home or are unable to move anywhere without the help of an engine with internal combustion. It improves overall sense of well-being.