Walk to Health: The Surprising Benefits of Walking

Sharon Moore June 24, 2013

If you think walking is a mediocre form of exercise, think again. Even though walking doesn’t make you sweat hard like most intense and vigorous workouts do, it has amazing benefits that can take you one step closer to optimal health!

Improved Mental Health

Walking appears to have a significant impact on our mental health by enhancing our happiness levels. In one study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, depressed participants reported feeling better only after having a short walk. The more they walk, the less depressed they become. Furthermore, walking has been shown to reduce anxiety levels in about half of the participants who incorporated it to their daily routine.

Reduced Pain and Disability

Whilst medications can do the job, you can actually walk your way to reduced pain and less disability brought by some debilitating conditions, such as arthritis. That’s according to a paper published online in the Arthritis Care and Research journal. The study involved 462 people with arthritis who were offered to choose between two therapeutic programmes. 40 per cent of the participants chose to attend an instructor-led walking class while 60 per cent opted for a self-directed version called Walk with Ease where they get most of the instructions from a workbook. After six weeks, participants from both groups reported modest to moderate improvement in their disability scores, especially in fatigue, pain, helplessness and stiffness. What’s more, they experienced no adverse effects from the therapy. The pain levels in both groups dropped by almost 20 per cent which makes a noticeable difference, according to the researchers.

Another study by the University of Queensland, Australia revealed that walking 15 minutes a day three times a week may help reduce pain brought by osteoarthritis by 40 per cent.

Weight Loss & Maintenance

Whilst it is true that walking does not burn calories as quickly as running or sprinting, or any other high-intensity exercise does, it has been shown to be an effective weight loss tool. For instance, a published paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that brisk walking can be effective in reducing deep abdominal fat – the most dangerous type of body fat. Another study by the University of Colorado suggests that if people could commit to at least 2,000 more steps a day (or about one additional mile or 15-minute physical movement), they may not necessarily lose weight but could stop gaining weight.

Defence against Major Illness

Walking as an exercise also promotes overall health and strengthens the immune system. A recent study published in the American Journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows that a simple, regular walking is enough to reduce a person’s risk of metabolic syndrome from moderate to low. This condition affects one in four people in the UK, and could cause stroke, heart disease, and cancer. The research was the largest of its kind, involving 38,000 men and women. According to Professor Conrad Earnest, the lead author from Bath University’s Department for Health, people under the moderate fitness category had markedly reduced risk of metabolic syndrome as compared to the low fitness category.

Another study by Spanish researchers and published in the journal Stroke revealed that walking for at least three hours a week may cut the risk of stroke in women by whopping 50 per cent! Surprisingly, the team noted that other types of exercise, regardless of intensity, have no association with stroke risk reduction.

Even men could benefit from walking. A paper published in the American Heart Association journal suggests that even though walking does not have an independent effect on coronary heart disease, its potential effects through unknown indirect pathways makes it a good lifestyle habit that can prevent or delay the onset of disease.

Furthermore, nearly 10,000 cancers could be prevented in the UK alone if people would take several brisk walks per week, according to the report from World Cancer Research Fund. It also found that 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day could prevent 4,500 cases of bowel cancer every year, and about 5,500 cases of breast cancer. Other moderate forms of exercise that have similar benefits are cycling, dancing, leisurely swimming, and household chores such as vacuuming.

Wait – there’s more! A 2010 study which appeared in the journal Neurology revealed that walking just six miles per week may protect the ageing brain from growing smaller, and in turn preserve memory in old age and prevent memory-related problems, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Lower Mortality Rate

Perhaps the greatest benefit of walking is a longer life. A Harvard alumni study discovered that people who walked regularly had 23 percent lower rate of death than those who did not walk. The researchers explained that walking greatly influences cardio-respiratory fitness which is considered the best mortality rate predictor.

Can you suggest other benefits of walking? Feel free to post a comment below.