Category: Brain Health

9 Benefits of Taking A Daily Walk

It’s not necessary to train like an athlete to be healthy. In fact, too much exercise is actually less healthy. The maximum health benefits from exercise can be reached with a modest routine. Doing more will may make you more fit, but not healthier. You also increase the likelihood injury.

Walking is natural activity that almost anyone can do. There are numerous health benefits to be gained from regular, brisk walking. Your overall health, brain, waistline, and mental health are all enhanced by walking.

Walk your walk to good health. Here are 9 benefits of taking a daily walk:

  1. Control blood glucose levels. A 15-minute walk after a meal has been shown to lower blood sugar in those with glucose control issues. The risk of type-2 diabetes is lowered by 60% in those that walk daily.
  1. Enhance brain health. Walking has been shown to boost grades, memory, and creativity, Who knew you could get smarter, slimmer, and healthier from the simple act of taking a walk?
  1. Walking is a great opportunity to think and make decisions. A brisk walk takes you out of your home or office. A change in scenery can clear you mind and provide the mental space necessary to make a wise decision.
  1. Strengthen your heart. Even a modest pace is enough to keep your heart in good shape. Walking has been shown to lower levels of bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol. Walking is also good for your blood pressure. Walking reduces your risk of heart attacks and stroke. 30-minutes a day is all it takes.

Walking is an option for nearly anyone, regardless of age or current fitness level.

  1. Control weight. A walk won’t undo the ravages of a triple bacon cheeseburger, but it does burn a few calories. More importantly, walking helps to keep your metabolism in shape. Excess calories are dealt with more effectively.
  1. Walking is cheap and easy. Aside from a pair of shoes, and even shoes are optional, you don’t need anything to go for a walk. There’s no complex skill to learn or expensive equipment to purchase. Walking is an option for nearly anyone, regardless of age or current fitness level. Since walking is low intensity it’s easy on your joints and carries a minimal risk of injury.
  1. Lift your mood. If you’re feeling a little blue, a short walk can give a needed boost to your morale. Those that walk regularly report heaving a better mood than those that don’t.
  1. Reduce stress. Take walk the next time you’re feeling stressed. Walking attacks stress in two ways. It can take your mind off your challenges. It also metabolizes the biochemical and neurotransmitters that create the physiological feelings and symptoms of stress. This benefit also makes it a great low intensity exercise for any level of fitness.
  1. Increase your lifespan. The number of years you can expect to gain from 2.5 hours of walking each week is at least 3-4. Not bad for results from an activity that most people find enjoyable.

Subscribe to get a notification of new blog posts. Enter your email below:

10 Simple Tips How To Be Good To Your Body and Boost Your Health

Featured
Photo by Tim Savage on Pexels.com

The human body is an amazing machine. Appreciate your body for housing you. When you treat it right and it will treat you right. Of course in the daily grind or a crisis it can be easy to forget the importance of living a healthy life and appreciating your body. But there are so many simple things you can do to support a healthy living for your body, to enhance your overall health that don’t require money or a trip to the doctor.

Healthy people make more healthy choices each day. Although your health isn’t entirely under your control, you do have a lot of influence on the matter. Simple habits, repeated consistently, can profoundly impact your health in a positive way.

Use these strategies each day and reap the benefits of a healthier body:

  1. Be active. Active people are healthier and live longer. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all day at the gym. It just means that you can’t spend all day sitting around. Get moving – your body will be so glad you did!
    • Have some activities planned each week that require you to think and move. Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise or movement per day, five days a week. For example: At home workouts. Plant a garden. Volunteer. Walk around the park. Dance to your favorite music or a class.
  2. Drink more water. Too many people fail to drink enough water each day. There are a lot of options more exciting than water, but water is what your body requires. Over half of your body weight is water, so drink more of it and skip the other beverages 90% of the time. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
    • Some healthy options, such as green tea and watery fruits like watermelon, will help hydrate you as well.
  1. Get sufficient sleep. Over one third of the adult population fails to get enough sleep. In a society that prides itself on working harder and getting less sleep than the next person, it can be challenging to make sleep a priority. However, getting enough sleep – 7 to 9 hours for most adults – will strengthen your health.
    • Getting enough sleep enables you to work and pursue your passions vigorously. It rejuvenates your body, mind, and attitude. You should have an ergonomically correct mattress and pillow to ensure you get the best sleep possible.
  1. Manage stress. Stress is one of the primary obstacles of good health. It detracts from the amount and the quality of your sleep. The hormones and other chemicals produced during stress are damaging to the mind and body.
    • Find relaxation practices that work for you and use them each day. Healthy options include meditation, listening to soothing music, partaking in hobbies that make you happy, and warm baths. My go to when I need to de-stress is soothing music and meditation.
  2. Stay away from sick people. People with communicable diseases like a cold, flu, coronavirus, and more can make you sick. Some communicable diseases can permanently destroy your health.
    • When others are sick, stay away as much as possible and use precautions such as masks and gloves around them. Of course, washing your hands thoroughly when you’re around them and when you leave helps immensely to stop the spread of the germs.
  3. Be sociable. With very few exceptions, everyone needs to have some social contact to stay emotionally healthy. How much social contact is needed varies greatly from one person to the next.
    • Find the right level for you and ensure that you’re maintaining it.
  4. Keep your brain active. In today’s world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of mindless internet surfing, watching TV, and playing silly games on your smartphone. Do something that challenges your brain.
    • Playing chess, sudoku, Go, crossword puzzles, bridge, and other mentally challenging games can be a great way to keep your brain healthy and sharp.
  5. Eat nutritious real food. Real food is anything you can buy and consume in its natural state. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, meat, and beans are examples of natural foods. Eat what your body was designed to eat, and you’ll be much healthier.
    • Cookies, chips, cereal, candy and other pre-processed foods are full of chemicals that are detrimental to your health.
  6. Affirm the positive.  Having a positive mindset is the key to living a fulfilling life. Believe it or not but your attitude and thinking positively rather than allowing negative things to rule your mind and body is important to both our happiness and health. The use of positive affirmations can often remind you about how important it is to take care of yourself.
    • A good affirmation encourages you to live the healthiest lifestyle possible and be the best that you can be.
  1. See your doctor. See your doctor regularly, regardless of how you feel. That includes the dentist, too.
    • There are plenty of serious diseases that don’t impact how you feel until they’ve done damage to your body. Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are just a few examples of serious issues that frequently don’t present any symptoms at first.

You don’t have to exercise for hours, drink magical protein concoctions, or limit your diet to raw vegetables to be a healthy person. Do the simple and relevant things regularly and let your body, mind and soul reap the rewards. You are worth it!

Stronger Together!

Connie

Follow Me on Social Media: