The benefits of walking put it in a league of its own. Walking, or pedestrianism, as it’s also called, is more than just a cheap, sustainable way to get from A to B. It supersedes other forms of exercise because it’s so accessible and affordable. And the health benefits of walking get seen on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Did you know that walking for as little as 15 minutes a day may help you avoid chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and even certain cancers?

We will show you how, just by walking more, you can reduce your chances of getting the major chronic diseases that are so prevalent in our society.

Are you keen to start walking every day? Not sure where and how to start?

We explain why walking is so good for you and provide information on how you can easily implement new habits that include both a daily walking schedule and a healthy eating plan. The benefits of walking are within everyone’s reach. You can be old, young, rich, poor, healthy, or sick, walking daily will enrich every aspect of your life.

What Are The Major Causes Of Death Around The World?

In the United States, the 4 leading causes of death are:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischaemic diseases, also known as heart diseases.
• Type 2 Diabetes (T2D)
• Obesity
• Cancers

In Europe, circulatory diseases lead the way, followed by cancers. And this mirrors the results above because circulatory diseases are also known as ischaemic heart diseases. And that is just the proper name for the hardening of the arteries.

In lower-income countries, these statistics do change quite a bit. Poverty means people eat less but also walk more. People in developing countries often walk miles to get to and from school and work.

There’s a direct correlation between how active people are to how healthy people are. These studies show that exercise reduces blood pressure, increases insulin sensitivity, and lowers lipoprotein levels (cholesterol). Diet also plays a role. Sedentary lifestyles coupled with high carb, high sugar meals lead to these chronic diseases and deaths that are avoidable.

What Are The Physical Benefits Of Walking?

This is what walking does short-term:

• Increases breathing
• Increases heart rate
• Lowers blood pressure

And over time, with regular walking this happens:

• Blood sugar levels stabilise
• Cardiovascular fitness improves
• Muscle strength and stamina increase
• Cholesterol levels drop
• Insulin sensitivity increases
• Appetite improves (you make healthier diet choices)
• Stress is reduced
• Sleep improves
• Excess weight is lost

And in the long term, with faster, further continued walking:

• Hormones function as they should which means the thyroid works, insulin resistance disappears, leptin and ghrelin are balanced, bones are strengthened, immunity is boosted, the appetite is healthy. All this reduces the risk of diabetes, CVD, and obesity.
• Blood circulation improves, lipoprotein profiles drop, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s and ultimately heart disease and strokes. Good circulation also reduces the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis.
• Cognitive function improves, improving memory, overall quality of life and independence, and longevity. (Avoid many old-age diseases)
• Reduced medical, health care, and hospital costs.
• Mental health improves.

The 9 Main Health Benefits Of Walking

Walking impacts all the systems of the body. A healthy eating plan to suit individual needs should be implemented with walking workout schedules. This is an effective, practical, holistic approach to fitness and health.

1. Healthy heart – improved fitness levels – reduced risk of heart disease.

2. Healthy hormones – effective metabolism, increased insulin sensitivity, strong bones – reduced risk of obesity, and diabetes. Strengthens immunity. Boosts positivity. Improves sleep.

3. Balanced blood sugar levels –  increased insulin sensitivity – reduced risk of diabetes.

4. Lowers blood pressure – reduced risk of heart disease.

5. Lowers cholesterol – healthy blood lipid levels – reduced risk of heart disease.

6. Improves brain function – improved moods, good memory, better sleep, longevity.

7. Strengthens immunity – strong bones – reduced risk of osteoporosis.

8. Improves breathing – improves the lungs, reduces the risk of CVD, COPD, and T2D. Breathing exercises can increase lung capacity.

9. Reduces stress – improved hormonal function – weight-loss- reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and CVD. improves sleep.

The Main Benefits of Walking Explained in More Detail

1. Walking Leads to a Healthy Heart

Heart disease is the world’s worst killer. It’s often referred to as the “silent killer” because it comes out of nowhere and strikes people down. The symptoms that lead up to heart disease often go unnoticed because they develop over time. This gradual decline in health is often overlooked as we adapt to subpar health conditions quicker than we care to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

a) Walking increases cardiovascular fitness and stamina

Walking is a good place to start to improve cardiovascular health, which is of vital importance to general health. A healthy heart means the rest of the body is getting fresh, clean, oxygen-filled blood delivered. And a healthy heart means good circulation and strong immune-support.

b) Walking strengthens muscles and bones.

We get taught that the skeletal system It’s is a little known fact that the skeletal system, or the bones, produce a hormone called

c) Walking benefits the entire circulatory system

The heart is the epicentre of the circulatory system but the entire system is crucial to all the other systems. From our immune systems to our skeletal system, they all depend on proper blood flow and pressure to get the nutrients and hormones needed and to get the toxins and waste efficiently removed. Our circulatory system functions optimally when we stay fit and eat healthily.

2. Walking May Lead To Hormonal Harmony

a) Walking and the Endocrine System

Walking is a way to get your body back in sync. When you walk for long enough your heart rate increases and your breathing quickens. This movement triggers numerous actions, reactions, and responses in the body, at hormonal levels.

Walking can reduce stress thanks to increased blood flow. The stress hormones are the first set of hormones to react. When stress responses get activated the hormones needed to keep the endocrine system functioning optimally don’t get activated. Instead, cortisol and adrenaline get released. Long term this could lead to adrenal fatigue and insulin resistance, which could lead to diabetes, CVD, and obesity. The endocrine system is vital for digestion, elimination, stable blood sugar(insulin), blood lipoprotein levels (cholesterol), thyroid gland function, and sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone).

Walking strengthens bones by keeping hormones working. A protein, osteocalcin, in bones gets secreted and acts as a hormone. The bones store minerals and fats. Osteocalcin is partly responsible for getting the fats and minerals to the right places. No osteocalcin production leads to loss of bone density and increases the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis.

b) Walking can create a healthy appetite

A healthy appetite means we know when we feel full and we get the correct signals about hunger when leptin and ghrelin do their jobs. We don’t get unhealthy cravings for carbs and sugar so we make better food choices. Bad sleep leads to leptin resistance. Women are more prone to this and it becomes more difficult to lose weight.

3. Can Walking Reduce the Risk of Diabetes?

Studies show that walking can reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. T2D is a consequence of insulin resistance. And the result is often only treated too late. To treat Type 2 Diabetes correctly a change from a sedentary lifestyle and incorrect eating has to be adhered to. Taking medication is not a cure it’s just putting off the reality of what needs to be done to correct it.

Insulin resistance can lead to weight gain, impaired metabolism, and T2D. It is a hormone that controls blood sugar. Insulin resistance develops when blood sugar levels are constantly high. When we eat foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) or meals that have a high glycaemic load (GL) our blood sugar spikes and then crashes. The effect on the body is a sharp rise in energy levels followed by a sudden slump. Over time this creates insulin resistance.

When insulin can longer carry out its function or becomes depleted. We have a limited supply of insulin, certain hormones get produced in lower quantities as we age and other hormones, like insulin, can run out. It is good practice to watch how much sugar gets consumed on a daily basis. It also accounts for the popularity in diets that advocate against added sugars and refined sugars. Sugar in fruit, when fruit is consumed as it should be (raw and fresh) is good for us as we need glucose for energy. Insulin resistance means blood can’t transport sugar to the liver as it should. Sugar then ends up in the bloodstream instead of in the liver or the pancreas.

Walking stabilises blood sugar levels & help you lose weight. Walking can lead to increased insulin sensitivity. This not only reduces the risk of T2D it can also reverse pre-diabetes.

5 Ways to Reduce Insulin Resistance or Increase Insulin Sensitivity

1. Get more sleep –

Studies show walking improves sleep, especially walking outside and being exposed to blue light which keeps our circadian cycle in sync. This leads to the correct functioning of ghrelin and leptin, hormones that control appetite.

2. Lose weight –

As mentioned above leptin, ghrelin, along with insulin are the hormones that influence appetite. And walking keeps these hormones working well, as this study proves.

3. Reduce stress –

There are breathing techniques that can take the body from a place of stress (which will cause cortisol and other stress hormones to be released) to a place of normality. You can check this state by observing if you are breathing from your chest (stress) or from your stomach.

As soon as you focus on your breathing your immediate flight or flight response normalises. Breathe in by allowing your stomach to push out as you inhale. Exhale by sucking your stomach in. This moves the breathing from the chest only (which is increasing heart rate) back to a calm regular rhythm.

Get into the habit of checking yourself, in traffic, at work during altercations or confrontations, waiting in queues, etc. Do this by placing one hand on your chest and one on your stomach so you can see where your breathing is coming from and then rectify it.

4. Exercise more –

As mentioned exercise will improve cardiovascular fitness and stabilise blood glucose levels. Reducing the risk of pre-diabetes.

5. Change your eating habits –

Eat more soluble fibre. Eat the rainbow. Functional Medicine advocates eating meals that contain 7-10 portions of foods from the main colour groups which are red, orange, purple, yellow, brown, and white.

Get Thin, is an advocate of functional medicine but he has gone further and in his book he describes how eating a type of paleo diet with the main focus on plant-based fats and vegetables low in carbs has improved his well-being tremendously. Some people go even further and adopt a diet called vegan keto, which is like ketotarianism but without the eggs and dairy.

4. Walking Boosts Brain Power

a) The Benefits Walking Has on Mental Health

Walking, and other cardio exercises, help the brain to produce and release neurotrophins and neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. These hormones are the “feel good” hormones. When these are balanced and functioning well our moods are elevated and we feel calm, confident, and clear-headed. Because our circulatory system works properly our brain can access the nutrients needed for optimal thinking, if we are eating well.

Often depression is a result of a chemical imbalance that prevents us from dealing with daily stress effectively. Walking as exercise may even help to repair these neurons.

b) Can Walking Reduce Alzheimer’s and other age-related diseases?

Alzheimer’s is a result of plaque build-up in the veins and arteries that supply blood to the body and brain. Other causes could be inflammation, vascular damage, and too many free radicals. This is why there are so many studies trying to prove how good antioxidants are at neutralizing these free radicals and reversing the effects of aging.

5. Walking and Weight Loss

a) Can walking reduce belly fat?

Walking can reduce abdominal fat (subcutaneous and visceral). Belly fat poses a different type of health risk as opposed to being generally overweight. Belly fat is a sign that you could be developing insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. walking is a recommended treatment for insulin resistance. And walking alone cannot remove the subcutaneous fat when there is insulin resistance, suggesting that a program including dietary measures and exercise may be more effective.

b) Walking tones muscles

Increasing physical activity, even slightly, has positive outcomes. When walking is done regularly a noticeable decrease in the circumference of hips can be seen. Walking improves the tone of muscles. Toned muscles are stronger and can support the skeletal system which allows the bones to be stronger and healthier, and that in turn improves immunity.

Walking For The Soul

So much emphasis place on the physical health aspects of walking that we often underestimate the power walking has on the psyche. Our psyche includes not only our brain but also our sense of well-being, our emotional state and our intellectual abilities. A healthy body and a healthy mind hopefully equate to a healthy soul.

Walking is as much a cerebral activity as it is physical. When we walk we have time to slow down the pace, we observe our surroundings and have time to think. This makes walking one of the most holistic forms of physical exercise around.

Choosing where and how to walk can change the benefits of walking immensely. Let’s take a look at how a change of scenery can enhance not only the physical state but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects too.

Benefits of Walking Barefoot

Being barefoot has its own range of benefits that are not always well known. When we expose the soles of our feet we also expose our immune systems to the surface we are walking on thanks to the nerve endings in our feet. (this is why reflexology is effective).

Walking barefoot may

• Improve balance and strength
• Increase body awareness
• Create a connection between body and mind, improving self-awareness
• Increases control of movement
• Improve flexibility in the feet (better foot mechanics),
• This has a knock-on effect that improves hip and knee flexibility too.
• Bring about pain relief
• Work the core, which can improve metabolism because energy burns even after the exercise is over.

Of course, it is not always possible to walk barefoot. Walking in urban areas where there may be litter, dirt, and dangerous objects is not a good idea. Walking on terrain that is uneven is probably better when done barefoot as your feet can “read” the ground better. But then the risk of stubbing a toe or getting cuts and other injuries increase.

Benefits of Walking in Nature

Sometimes the only way people can walk is by using a treadmill and being indoors. But walking in nature, or even in a city or suburb, is always a better option unless air pollution is too extreme.

Walking in nature connects us. It also means we get to breathe fresh air and we get exposed to sunlight. Sunlight on the skin has multiple benefits. Sunlight also gives us our daily vitamin D dose. And sunlight exposes us to blue light. Blue light has shorter wavelengths but higher frequencies. The benefits of blue light include:

• Increased alertness
• Improved memory
• Elevated mood
• Improved cognitive function

Walking in nature, as opposed to only walking outside (in a town or city), gives us a different experience. It exposes us to sights, sounds, and smells that stimulate our various sensory organs. So as a package we get the benefits of physical exercise, mental stimulation, sensory stimulation, and a spiritual experience as we connect with our natural environment just by being present in the moment, as we walk. Being present like this may lead to meditation which leads to another whole range of mental, emotional, and physical benefits.

Benefits of Walking Meditation

The true meaning of meditation has lost somewhat and in the broad sense when we talk of meditation we associate it with breathing, stillness, and “not thinking”. This is true to a certain degree and initially, when some people learn to meditate they do so because they cannot still their minds. Racing thoughts can lead to feelings of urgency, anxiety, restlessness, and stress. Many people living fast-paced lives with high-pressure jobs can suffer from a mind that cannot stop thinking.

But the true meaning of meditation is deep thinking. The great minds of the past were all meditators. Even today great mathematicians, theologians, and academics will meditate on complicated equations and complex theories. Philosophers and other truth seekers meditate in order to find answers to the meaning of life. It is tapping into a universal knowledge base that exists as a separate intangible entity for us to access.

Henry David Thoreau was a famous walker. He was an essayist, poet, and philosopher. He wrote on the benefits of nature and walking as a balm for the soul. One of his famous essays was titled “Walking”. He wrote it in 1862.

Today we can still benefit from walking as a form of meditation. When we walk in nature and observe our surrounding the natural progression will be a stilling of the mind and eventually, our thoughts will no longer control us. We can then begin to “think”. When we find this happening it can be said we are walking for meditation.