Only one hour of walking can boost your life expectancy by two hours, making every step you take count, according to the American Heart Association. While scientists have long emphasized the importance of walking as good exercise, a growing number of studies now show a slew of health benefits from a regular walking program. A low-impact exercise, walking is known to help fight disease, improve your physical and mental well-being, and increase your longevity.
Safe and Simple
Rain or shine, walking is an inexpensive fitness activity you can do anytime, anywhere without the need for equipment or instruction. All you need is comfortable clothing and good shoes. Walking can easily become part of your daily routine, whether it's a 10-minute session or a 30-minute activity with a friend. Add the outdoor terrain to the list of benefits from walking, and you can easily vary or increase the intensity of your exercise as needed.
Weight Loss
Walking is a form of aerobic exercise that improves your heart function, raises your heart rate and burns calories. According to MayoClinic.com, walking at a speed of only 2 mph for one hour burns 183 calories for a 160 lb. adult, while walking at a speed of 3-1/2 mph for one hour burns 277 calories. A 2009 study by Penny Gordon-Larsen and colleagues in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found men and women who walked more than four hours each week were 44 percent more likely to lose weight over a 15-year period compared to those who didn't walk at all. What's more, 19 percent were more likely to maintain their weight over time, the authors add.
Heart Health
Physical inactivity is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Scientific studies show a regular walking program can lower blood pressure and LDL or "bad" cholesterol --- key risk factors for heart disease --- and raise HDL or "good" cholesterol. A large-scale study of more than 72,000 postmenopausal women in a September 2002 issue of "The New England Journal of Medicine" found women who walked briskly for at least 2-1/2 hours per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or stroke by 30 percent. And for those with heart disease, walking provides important health benefits. In an April 2009 issue of the "European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation," M. Hamer and E. Stamatakis found men and women with heart disease who performed at least 20 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise such as brisk walking had the lowest risk of death among study participants.
Bone Strength
Alongside heart health and fitness benefits, walking helps reduce the loss of bone mass, which leads to osteoporosis. As a low-intensity weight-bearing exercise, walking is a safe mode of physical activity for osteoporosis sufferers who avoid high-intensity activity that may lead to a fall and life-threatening fracture. A November 2002 article in the "Journal of The American Medical Association" by Diane Feskanich and colleagues found women who walked four hours per week or more had a 41 percent lower risk of a hip fracture than women who did not walk at all or walked for less than one hour per week. Additionally, women who walked at a brisk to very brisk pace had a 65 percent lower risk compared with those walking at an easy pace.
References
- American Heart Association: Get Moving
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise For Weight Loss: Calories Burned in One Hour; December 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Fifteen-Year Longitudinal Trends in Walking Patterns and Their Impact on Weight Change; Penny Gordon-Larsen, et al.; January 2009
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Walking Compared With Vigorous Exercise For The Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Women; JoAnn E. Manson, et al.; September 2002
- "European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation"; Physical Activity and Mortality in Men and Women With Diagnosed Cardiovascular Disease; M. Hamer and E. Stamatakis; April 2009
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Walking and Leisure-Time Activity and Risk of Hip Fracture in Postmenopausal Women; Diane Feskanich, et al.; November 2002
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