Gym memberships and HIIT workouts seem like a solid health and fitness choice. There is something we can all do every day that provides a boost to both your health and your overall wellbeing. Walking!
  1. Walks give you energy 
When you take morning walks, you activate your body’ system. You get your heart rate up, you sweat, and you feel alert. Once you start walking in the morning, your mood and energy levels are lifted for the rest of the day. Morning walks can take you from levels of lethargy to high energy. Hormonal balance and circulation improve, and you just feel mentally sharp. The whole idea is that by using energy to exercise, we get more energy.
  1. Avoid stress eating
Walking is one of the best ways to kick stress eating to the curb. But it doesn’t work on its own. The best way to beat comfort eating is to get good sleep, meditate, and walk those 10,000 steps a day. Experts say that stress eating is usually an emotional or psychological problem. By walking every day, you release endorphins and reverse cortisol levels, helping you curb the emotional or psychological problems.
  1. Keep dementia at bay
As we age, our brains actually shrink. It might sound scary, but you can use walking to slow down the process. The magic number here is 30 minutes. Just three half-hour walks each week can cause the areas of the brain that deal with processing and memory to increase in size. These areas, called the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, grew as much as 3% in test subjects, slowing down the natural process of aging.
  1. Walking keeps your blood pressure in line
A brisk walk can help lower blood pressure. In a study carried out at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, it was found that moderate walking is as effective as jogging when it comes to lowering high blood pressure. If you can’t quite fit in that 30-minute walk, try spreading it out over the course of the day. Just 10 minutes here and there adds up if you’re consistent. In fact, they say that breaking up your workout into shorter bursts is just as effective as one long workout. And it’s just easier to fit into the day, anyway.
  1. Walking is great for old age
Further studies show that walking from an early age can help keep you independent and mobile in your later years. In one experiment, people between the ages of 70 and 89 were monitored over a 2.5-year period. Those who regularly walked were 28% less likely to become disabled and as much as 18% less likely to have some sort of physical disability later in life.
  1. Boost creativity when you walk
Many businesses embrace walking as a way of generating creative ideas. From just walking from one meeting to the next to walk-and-talk sessions between colleagues, more people are benefitting from creative insight and brainstorming sessions when they think on foot. Even walking indoors on a treadmill can help you produce more creative responses than if you’re sitting still at your desk. So, the next time you need a little innovation, go for a stroll.
  1. Walking helps you sleep better
Walking can even boost the effects of your sleep hormones, and that makes for faster and more peaceful slumber. Exercise is even beneficial if you suffer from chronic insomnia.

Again, walking in the morning is the way to go. You get to soak up the early sunlight which helps set the circadian rhythm to improve your sleep cycles.

Do be careful of walking too close to bedtime. For many people, exercise right before bed can make them energetic, making it harder to fall asleep. Get the steps when you can, though, just aim for as early as possible.

With so many amazing benefits that come from daily walks, isn’t it time you go up and took a stroll?

 

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