Walking and health
Published by Bupa's health information team, healthinfo@bupa.com, April 2008
This article looks at the benefits of walking, outlining the practical as well as health advantages.
Walking can help you to reach the recommended minimum of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week. Regular walking protects you against a range of illnesses and can also be an efficient way to travel. You can easily build walks into a busy lifestyle without having to set aside time for exercise.
A great way to travel
Walking is a good means of transport because it's:
- convenient - it's handy for getting you from one place to another
- free - walk to your destination and you can stop worrying about the price of petrol, parking and fares
- predictable - you know how fast you can walk so you are in control of your journey times
- stress-free - if you can walk some or all of the way to work, you can forget about late buses and trains, and other unwelcome journey interruptions
- good for the environment - getting out of your car and onto your feet will reduce pollution and road congestion
- sociable - you can stop and chat to your friends and neighbours, which you can't do when you are in your car
- safe - as long as you don't walk alone at night and take care crossing roads
A good form of exercise
Walking is a great way to meet the recommended target of at least 30 minutes moderate exercise, five times a week. Get into the habit of walking and you will reap the health rewards now and in the future.
Boost your fitness
Exercise that raises your heart rate is aerobic exercise and helps you to get fitter. This means your body gets better at using oxygen so you can be more active without getting tired. Brisk walking that raises your heart rate and makes you warm and a bit breathless is a great example of aerobic exercise.
Stay in shape
If you want to lose excess weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. You need to lose about 3,500 calories in order to lose 0.5kg of fat. In the average 60kg person, brisk walking - this is about 6.4km per hour (4 miles per hour) - for half an hour uses up around 150 calories.
For most people, a healthy aim is to achieve a calorie deficit of 500 per day (3,500 a week) for a weight loss of around 0.5kg a week, by reducing food intake and exercising. But even without changing your diet, if you start walking just over 3km (2 miles) a day, you will achieve a calorie deficit of 150 a day and could lose around 0.5kg every three weeks.
Feel happier
Getting enough exercise improves your mood, reduces stress and anxiety and builds self-esteem. So walking to work could help you start the day feeling calmer and happier.
Improve your brain power
As you get older, the risk of developing confusion, dementia and Alzheimer's disease increases. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of this.
It's not just older people whose brains are boosted - walking to school might also improve academic performance in children.
Feel full of energy
You might worry that walking every day will leave you exhausted. Although you may feel a bit more tired in the first week or two, people who exercise regularly generally feel they have more energy than inactive people.
Sleep well
Regular physical activity promotes better sleep. An after-dinner stroll might help you wind down for bed. However, try to avoid strenuous exercise within four hours of going to bed if you suffer from insomnia, because this could actually make you more alert.
Experience better back health
Walking can help prevent back pain and alleviate it if it's already a problem for you.
Reduce joint pain
For your joints to work at their best, you need to use them regularly. Regular walking gives your knee joints a good work-out and prevents your thigh muscles from becoming weak. This can also help to keep your bones strong. Leading a generally active lifestyle, including walking, can help protect against osteoarthritis - painful inflammation of joints.
Walking is an excellent choice of exercise if you already suffer from arthritis problems or if you have osteoporosis (weak bones), because it doesn't put a lot of impact on your joints.
Walking and your future health
As well as keeping you fit and in good shape, staying active will help you prevent a whole range of health problems in the future. Meeting recommended physical activity targets by walking reduces your risk of:
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- coronary heart disease (which can lead to angina, heart attack or stroke)
- type 2 diabetes
- certain types of cancer, especially colon, breast and lung cancer
- osteoporosis (weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, strengthens bones)
Key points
- Walking can be a free, easy and practical way to travel.
- Almost anyone can walk.
- Regular walking can improve your current health.
- Regular walking can help safeguard your health in the future.
Further information
- British Heart Foundation
08450 70 80 70
www.bhf.org.uk
Related information
- Benefits of exercise
- Cycling and health
- Energy, exercise and weight control
- Exercise - what type, how much?
- Football and health
- Healthy weight and exercise
