Walking for 20 minutes a day has several health benefits that we should not ignore. Most health professionals prefer walking over running as it is a low impact exercise that goes easy on your heart and joints. A moderate 20 minutes a day walk has massive health benefits.
Below are 7 Health Benefits of walking for 20 minutes a day
1) Improves Cardiovascular System -
According to several researchers, brisk walk for 20 minutes a day and five days a week can significantly lower your risk of suffering a stroke. Walking is the best exercise for sedentary individuals, especially adults, to reduce the risk of heart and cardiovascular diseases.
2) Helps in Weight Loss -
One of the most easiest and beneficial exercises is walking, which will burn calories and help shape the lower part of your body and overall health of the body. It will help in burning those exrta calories which are know as 'fat' calories. We would say it is the most easiest method to burn fat and calories. Daily walking increases metabolism by burning extra calories and by preventing muscle loss, which is particularly important as we get older.
3) Enhanced Mood -
Walking can help reduce the stress levels by improving circulation, which, in turn, provides nutrients and oxygen to the cells. Several researches show that regular 20 minutes walk can actually modify your nervous system so much that you'll experience a decrease in anger and hostility. It helps in decreasing the stress hormones.
4) Strengthens Bones -
Walking 20 minutes a day prevents loss of bone density, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis, fracture, and injury. It helps in strengthning bones which is very crucial specially as we grow old. Walking can also prevent arthritis and other diseases related to bones.
5) Enchance Digestion System-
Due to increased sedentray lifestyle, we might face issues related to digestive system like bloating, belching, diarrhea etc. In order to avoid these problems, one should walk for few minutes on a daily basis. Walking for 20 minutes after meals is a great way to keep your digestive system healthy. It helps you reduce weight and also supports your digestive system.
6) Reduction in Blood Sugar Levels and Diabetes Risk-
This is one of the many problems of the sedentary lifestyle. Sitting at one place for hours and less physical activity leads to increased blood sugar level and the risk of Diabetes. Walking for 20 minutes a day can help control the blood sugar levels, which, in turn, can help you prevent diabetes.
7) Reduces Blood Pressure -
This is one of the most common diseases these days. Although it can be controlled naturally. Walking for 20 minutes a day can help control bllod pressure and even reduce it to some extent.
8) Improves Memory-
Several studies suggest that walking can help improve the memory to some extent. It helps in increasing the size of hippocampus in our brain whic is directly related to person's memory. Walking for 20 minutes a day can really be beneficial for our brain and memory.
So, overall we can conclude that walking has some amazing health benefits which we can start right away as it could be done most of the times in a day and without any cost too. You can start by walking 10 minutes every day. Then you can gradually increase this duration to 25-30 minutes a day and from thereon, you can increase the duration each week.
You should also gradually increase the pace of your walking. When you are comfortable enough, you can try to walk 8000-10,000 steps a day. You should always consult your doctor first in case you face any difficulty while walking or if you have any other health problem.
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