5 benefits of walking as exercise

Sure activities like running spinning and boot camp are all great ways to get in shape. But exercise doesn't need to be intense to be effective. In fact the simple act of walking can improve your health and boost your mood.

The benefits of walking

1. It increases your heart health. The American Heart Association notes that in a study of more than 45000 adults brisk walking was shown to help prevent heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
2. It lowers your disease risk. Maintaining a regular walking regimen can lower your risk for developing certain cancers. According to the American Cancer Society walking for seven hours per week may reduce your odds for developing breast cancer after menopause by up to 14 percent.
3. It helps you maintain a healthy weight. According to Livestrong you can burn 90 to 200 calories during a 30-minute walk depending on your pace. And this may be all you need to maintain a healthy weight. A study by JAMA Internal Medicine found that a daily 30-minute walk can prevent weight gain.
4. It's easy on your joints. Unlike high-intensity activities like running walking is low-impact and does not put a lot of pressure on your joints. As a result you'll be less likely to experience knee pain or other injuries when you're walking.
5. It makes you happy. Think of walking as moving meditation. According to the Mayo Clinic physical activity such as walking helps you relax and increases your body's levels of feel-good endorphins which in turn can lower stress and anxiety.

Getting started

You should always talk to your doctor before beginning any type of exercise regimen. But other than that you don't need much to begin a walking routine. Before you hit the pavement just make sure that you're wearing breathable loose-fitting clothing and comfortable socks and sneakers.

The most effective kind of exercise is the kind that you stick with long term — so keep it up! If walking solo feels boring you can schedule walking dates with a friend. Or you can listen to music audiobooks or podcasts while you walk. These distractions will make the time go by much quicker! The faster you walk the more health benefits you'll reap so you should try to walk as briskly as possible.

And remember you can walk for a cause! A county Relay for Life or other fund-raising and awareness walks can also provide an emotional/spiritual benefit to you as well!