Walking is one of the best exercises for you. It is low impact, free, and you don’t need a gym membership. Don’t have energy? Brain a little foggy? Put on a few pounds over the winter? Get out and go for a walk around the block. Walking 30 minutes a day has many benefits from head to toe.
I started walking after I had my twins in October 2002. I would walk around my neighborhood a couple times with them in the double stroller. Within a year I had lost the baby weight. Four years later, after I had my son, I would continue to walk for my health. I still walk for exercise. I just walked a 5K this past weekend.
10 benefits of walking for exercise
- A brisk walk for 30 minutes each day helps maintain a healthy body weight
- Prevent or manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure
- Improves mood
- Strengthens bones and muscles
- Improves balance and coordination
- Prevents age-related mental decline
- Lowers risk for depression and mood disorders
- Lowers stress hormones
- Increases happiness
- Sharper memory
What are the benefits of walking 30 minutes a day?
Walking 30 minutes a day strengthens the heart and manages cardiovascular diseases, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. This exercise is ideal for controlling high blood pressure, improves circulation, reduces bad cholesterol, and helps increase good cholesterol. You also need to eat a healthy diet. Walking is good for you, it burns calories. Walking 5 miles a day can help gain muscle and lose fat. You want to lose stored fat so it is good to build up your endurance to 30 minutes or more a day. Walk 30 minutes most days of the week and burn up to 1,000 to 3,000 calories total and improve your metabolism each day.
How many miles should you walk in a day to stay healthy?
Taking 10,000 steps a day means you’ve walked five miles or 9 kilometers. Many people do not get close to that, so a fitness tracker helps track your steps and/or miles walked. According to the UK’s National Health Services (NHS), the average person only walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day.
Use an activity tracker
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.
I bought this Fitbit Inspire HR for my daughter for Christmas. She loves it. She was telling me all the wonderful features. I think I am going to order one for myself. I know I walk about 10,000 steps at work each day, this way I can keep track.
- Tracks heart rate during workouts, resting heart rate, and calorie burn
- Tracks steps, distance, hourly activity, active minutes and calories burned
- The band is made of flexible, durable elastomer material similar to sport watches and fastens with a peg and loop
- Tracks sleep: light, deep, and REM stages
- 5 days of battery without constant charging. Charge time 2 hours
- Automatically and conveniently record workouts with Smart Track with Bluetooth 4.0
Here is an app I use to keep myself moving
I also use the Runkeeper App ,in the Google Play Store, when I go out for a walk. I like using it because it maps out your route. There is a list of activities to choose – walking, running, hiking, biking, wheelchair, skating, skiing, the list goes on. I like that you can listen to music as well. There are options to choose a playlist from Google Play Music. When you are finished you can save your activity and even post it on social media. I really like this app and recommend it. It keeps you going! I try to beat my time and miles from the day before.
How do you track your steps? What products do you use to track your workouts? Comment below.
Please share and comment below.
Leave a Reply