Why It is Important to Make Walking a Part of Our Lifestyle
Making Walking a part of Our Lifestyle.
Walking is a natural activity that is inexpensive and does not need specialized equipment or skills. It is easy to incorporate walking into typical daily activities and offers one the opportunity to self-regulate the frequency, intensity, and duration. With the changing lifestyles and increase in health issues, there are numerous recommendations to meet specific physical activity targets to ensure a balanced life. One way to meet these targets is through walking. There are several health benefits linked to walking, which can be achieved by adopting a regular walking schedule and sustaining it over time. A thirty-minute walking session for three days every week is most appropriate and would significantly benefit health.
Recently, many people have adopted the routine of strolling in nature and around neighborhoods to spend time through the pandemic. Most of these strolls are irregular, random, and unplanned. But people can develop and sustain thirty minutes walking sessions for three days a week. This routine could produce significant health benefits for most people. According to Ulin (2020), walking is a good activity for people because, if taken regularly, it leads to positive changes to the lungs and brain health. These changes are small, but cumulatively they could be significant. Hence people should make walking their usual way of life. Additionally, walking is the primary mode of movement for humans, and therefore, developing a walking schedule should be natural for most people.
Regular walking has significant benefits to the people who practice it. For example, people regularly walk their dogs, and these exercises improve the emotional and physical health of the individual and the dog. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. recommended that adults need a minimum of about an hour and fifteen minutes per week of aerobic activity to maintain optimum weight and health (Zeltman et al., 2011). To meet this recommendation, following the recommended plan of thirty-minute sessions for three days a week would be more than enough.
Walking can make a person live longer. Studies have shown that walking faster reduces death risks from most things except cancer. For cancer, the studies linked the reduction of mortality to the length of walking instead of speed (Schmidt, 2020). These studies show the importance of having a regular walking schedule, especially for the elderly. The elderly can benefit significantly in other ways, such as improved brain function, decreased cognitive decline, and improved executive function. Other studies also revealed that walking promotes the growth of the hippocampus, which is involved in learning and memory. These benefits show improvements in mental abilities and increased life expectancy, making it essential for everyone to adopt a regular walking schedule.
Though walking does not help one reduce weight, it plays a crucial role in reducing waist circumference. Waist measurements above forty inches for men and thirty-five inches for women have been associated with high Type two diabetes and heart disease risk. Studies have shown that regular walkers usually have reduced waist circumferences (Schmidt, 2020). This means that following the proposed walking schedule would reduce one's risk for Type two diabetes and heart disease.
Taking scheduled walking sessions offers an individual the opportunity to be in touch with the outside world and nature. This contact with nature can result in significant improvements in psychological health and general well-being. It's known that getting in touch with nature reduces mental fatigue and stress and improves mood. The Barton et al. (2009) study revealed that people who visited natural environments had better self-esteem scores. It also showed that walking in nature significantly reduced confusion, tension, depression, and anger while substantially improving mood and vigor. This means that while it is crucial to maintain a walking schedule, one should also be conscious of their surroundings.
In conclusion, walking has several benefits, and having a regular schedule guarantees sustainable positive outcomes. Scientific studies have confirmed significant improvement in health and well-being as a result of walking. Therefore, when people walk regularly, they gain substantial and enduring benefits to themselves and society. It also positively impacts moods, creativity, thought clarity, self-esteem, and connection to the natural world. Therefore, a thirty-minute session for three days per week is a schedule everyone can adopt and follow and realize significant health improvements.
References
Barton, J., Hine, R., & Pretty, J. (2009, November 30). The health benefits of walking in green spaces of high natural and heritage value. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 6(4), 261-278. Doi: 10.1080/19438150903378425
Schmidt, M. (2020, July 23). Why Walking Might Be One Of The Best Exercises For Health. Discover Magazine. doi:https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/why-walking-might-be-one-of-the-best-exercises-for-health
Ulin, D. L. (2020, May 18). How Walking Changes Us. The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/12/books/review/omara-ekelund-praise-walking-paths.html
Zeltzman, P., Johnson, R., & Becker, M. (2011). Walk a hound, lose a pound how you and your dog can lose weight, stay fit, and have fun together. Purdue University Press.
