If you are not able to do rigorous exercises and have no time to join a gym or a dance class, ensure you take out some time from your day and go for a brisk walk. Walking is a mild, low-impact workout that anyone can opt for easily. A sedentary lifestyle is touted to be the primary cause behind many lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure or hypertension, high blood sugar or diabetes, increase in cholesterol levels, and more.
However, merely walking is not enough, you have to take into account the speed of walking. Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee took to Instagram and shared, “A few steps daily can take us a long way towards a healthy life. One cannot deny the benefits of walking, but the speed at which we walk makes all the difference. According to the University of Virginia research, women doing 3 short-fast paced walks in a week lost 5 times more belly fat compared to those who strolled 5 times a week.”
Benefits of Walking
“Walking also ensures that the visceral fat (the fat that surrounds organs like kidneys and liver), which is directly responsible for diabetes and heart diseases, is lost 3 times more easily with high-intensity workouts. Any kind of physical activity is a boon to our overall health, But walking especially comes with a host of benefits,” says Anjali Mukerjee. Here are the 7 benefits as listed by her on Instagram:
1. Burns Calories: Helps in toning the body and losing weight. Brisk walking helps you burn at least 150-200 calories. It also tones calves, legs, and tummy muscles. Uphill walking, if done, adds even more to the benefits.
2. Strengthens Heart: As walking is a cardio exercise, it helps in lowering your blood cholesterol and simultaneously increases your good cholesterol. It also controls and prevents hypertension.
3. High Blood Sugar Control: Helps to lower the risk of diabetes.
4. Boosts Memory: Walking is not only good for physical health but also mental health. It keeps the brain sharp and improves memory functions. It improves blood circulation, thus keeping you more alert. The old-age brain depreciation can also be slowed down through walking.
5. Eases Joint Pain: Walking protects the joints by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles (knees and hips) that support them.
6. Boosts Energy and Has a Feel-Good Factor: Walking during lunch break keeps you more alert for post-lunch work/study, which ultimately increases your productivity. It also releases endorphins (pain and stress fighter hormones) which make you feel more positive and helps beat stress.
7. Promotes Sleep: It helps you sleep better.
Also read: 5 Foods That Can Fulfil Protein Requirement In Your Body If You Are Vegetarian
Why You Must Walk Daily
Check out Anjali Mukerjee’s Instagram post:
So keep fit and keep walking.
Also read: Health Benefits Of Walking 10,000 Steps A Day: Facts Vs Myth – What Experts Say
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the expert quoted. Zee News doesn’t confirm this.)
