We live in a world where most people are either working from home or sitting at their office desks all day. With a lot of work and family commitments, it even gets harder to get time to go to the gym. Lack of time for exercise is the most common excuse for our physical unfitness, which puts our physical fitness and health at risk.
But the truth is, we don’t need a lot of time to exercise. All we need is 10 minutes a day, and we will be healthier. And the perfect way to get started is walking.
Benefits of a 10-Minute Daily Walk
Have a look at some of the health benefits of walking and why walking should be our best partner for overall good health:
1. Promotes Heart Health
Walking helps improve heart health by lowering blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, and lowering cholesterol, all of which are major risk factors for heart disease.
2. Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight
A brisk walk a day can significantly help you burn calories by increasing your metabolism. Increasing your speed allows you to burn more calories than if you strolled at a moderate pace. You can start small before gradually working up to 10,000 steps a day.
3. Boosts Brain Function
Walking helps to improve concentration, attention span, and focus. Exercise increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps preserve the health of existing neurons and create new ones. Research shows that people who frequently walk in a week have more efficient decision-making abilities and better brain function. Experts explain that these benefits are a result of increased blood flow to the brain that occurs with exercise.
4. Reduces Risk of Chronic Diseases
Studies show that walking can significantly help reduce one’s risk for a variety of chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, major depressive disorder (MDD), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
5. Reduces Stress
Are you feeling frazzled or overwhelmed? Get out and take a walk. Walking helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which allows one to feel less stressed and more relaxed.
6. Improves Sleep
Walking regularly can help you sleep better at night. Physical activity naturally boosts the effects of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Studies show that healthy adults who walk daily report positive impacts on sleep quality and length.
7. Reduces Joint Pain
Most physical aches and pains result from tightness. When muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia aren’t used, they get tight, resulting in pain, especially in the lower back and joints. Walking helps our bodies stay flexible, limber, and pain-free.
Walk for Your Health
Don’t hide on the excuse of not getting time to exercise anymore. There is always a way to find 10 minutes out of your busy schedule to get out in the fresh air for a walk. It could be leaving the car behind when you pop to the local shop, getting some fresh air at lunchtime, or taking your dog for a brisk walk.
If you need more guidance on how staying active can benefit your health, how to start walking, or how to stay motivated, talk to Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC.
