Walking is the best medicine for hundreds of diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and a number of heart diseases. Walking even keeps the regular walkers stress-free and keeps the central nervous system active.
Can Walking Raise Body Temperature?
While walking, one realizes that the heartbeat rate goes higher than the normal – one may feel warm and start perspiring. The faster one walks, the more these two factors increase simultaneously. Walking as well as workouts enhance body metabolism and result in an exothermic reaction in the muscles. This, in turn, increases body temperature.
Causes of Increased Body Temperature During Walking
During walking, some major changes in the muscles and tissues take place in the human body that cause a rise in body temperature – one’s body and muscles are at a greater need for energy. This is obtained by burning the carbohydrates and fats in the body through a range of chemical reactions, producing heat. The muscles get warmer also warming the blood that circulates through the vessels. This leads to a rise in overall body temperature. The more strenuous the workout sessions happen to be, the greater will be the rise in the body temperature. Extremely rigorous walking sessions can lead to a rise in the body temperature that could be considerably more than the resting body temperature.
Role of External Temperature in Increased Body Temperature When Walking
The rise in the body temperature while walking is not just dependant on how much heat the body produces through the mechanism of burning of fats and carbohydrates as fuels. It’s also attributed to how fast the body can lose heat. In this context, the external environment plays a major role. If the external weather is a cold one, it helps the body lose heat quickly. However, hot and humid weather prevents a rapid loss of body heat and makes it difficult for the body to dissipate heat. In such situations, there remains a risk of overheating of the body which in extreme cases can lead to exertional heatstroke. This is why the human body has several mechanisms with which it prepares to reduce body heat and keep the core body temperature within limits of safety.
Sweating is the main mechanism with which the body regulates your core temperature. When this mechanism is impaired, it also may lead to an excessive rise in the body temperature.
Conclusion
So whether one is heading for a walk outdoors in the winters or sultry summers, they must understand that their body’s sweat glands must be allowed to perform their natural task. Wearing something cool and cozy that will allow air to flow freely can help the walking session manifold.
