A little over two years ago I was in the worst physical and mental shape of my life. I was at rock bottom by many measures. That was when I decided that I did not want to live like that any longer and that it was time to make some healthy changes. To get started I did something very simple – I walked more often.
Walking is a truly underrated form of exercise. Not only does it help people burn calories, but it also doesn’t require any equipment other than a pair of shoes, it doesn’t require a membership, and it doesn’t cost anything. Walking also provides other health benefits beyond just helping people burn calories.
Last summer, a team of researchers affiliated with The Chinese University of Hong Kong examined the effect of walking on depressive and anxiety symptoms. The results of their study were published in the academic journal JMIR Public Health Surveillance.
“This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of walking on depressive and anxiety symptoms.” the researchers stated about their methodology. “This review included 75 RCTs with 8636 participants; 68 studies reported depressive symptoms, 39 reported anxiety symptoms, and 32 reported both as the outcomes.”
“Various forms of walking can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the effects of walking are comparable to active controls. Walking can be adopted as an evidence-based intervention for reducing depression and anxiety.” the researchers concluded.
Walking can also help improve people’s digestive health and weight loss, as evidenced in a 2011 study conducted by researchers affiliated with Toyodo Hijikata Clinic in Japan which found that “walking at a brisk speed for 30 minutes as soon as possible just after lunch and dinner leads to more weight loss.”
“Walking is safe exercise for most people and, in addition to improving balance, counts toward your aerobic activity goals.” stated Harvard Medical School in a recent email blast that I received. “Aim for at least 150 minutes of walking per week, but don’t hesitate to add more.”
Regular walking decreases the risk or severity of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment and dementia, while also improving sleep. Furthermore, brisk walking has been found “to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and body composition,” as well as reduce chronic pain.
Make walking a regular part of your fitness strategy. Do it in your neighborhood and out in nature. Drive less and walk more. I once did an experiment on my treadmill which found that walking on an incline can burn as much as 2.5 times as many calories compared to walking on no incline, so if burning calories is your goal, find some hills to walk on. Keep your body moving. Your future self will thank you for it.
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