The Benefits of Walking for Weight Loss

If there is one exercise you should do more than anything else, it would certainly be walking. Walking is considered by many professionals and experts to be one of the best forms of weight loss exercise available to you. Not only it is it completely free, but you can do it anywhere. It is the natural form of transportation that kept generations before us fit and healthy. There are so many advantages to walking that it is even hard to know where to begin.

Health Benefits

The health benefits are amazing. It works your cardiovascular system so that you raising your heart rate which helps to pump blood. When you do this on a regular basis you are reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, Diabetes, and many other medical disorders that can affect you when your body is not in top shape. Walking also improves hypertension and blood flow, and mostly it helps you keep your weight down so that there are not pressures being put on your heart, bones, and joints. Flexibility is also an advantage because by walking everyday you are stretching your muscles and becoming more flexible. In fact, walking can add years to your life.

Economic Benefits

There are many economic benefits as well as social benefits to walking that aren’t normally discussed as well. We mentioned that walking is free, but did you know that if you just walk instead of driving a car you are saving over $5,000 per year that you would have spent operating a car? With the price of gas going up as we speak, that number could be far larger depending on where you live.  Walking also saves the earth because you are not contributing to the air pollution that is destroying our world. With the large percentage of emissions being sent out to the atmosphere with a car, you would be surprised to know that you are saving almost 60% of the air pollution.

Social Benefits

The social benefits are great to.  When you walk, you get out more to enjoy your day.   You interact with people, you relieve sadness, depression, and unhappiness because you get out of your house and start seeing the world. When you walk in a park or forest you commune with nature a bit and enjoy better breathing and fresher air. It is relaxing to walk and enjoy what nature has given you.

Walking is Better than Running

Walking is much better than running as well because you are being a little bit easier on your joints so you don’t run the large risk of wearing down your muscles and joints as you do with running.  The impact is less, and will allow you to walk much longer distances then running which helps control weight even more.

doesn’t take much energy

It doesn’t take much energy at all to get up off of the couch and put on your shoes. It doesn’t take energy to walk out the door. It doesn’t even take that much energy to walk around the block. What it does take is the willingness to change your body and make yourself healthier. That is something that everyone should be willing to do. So the next time you think that you would rather watch television instead of getting out and walking for at least 30 minutes five times a week, think about how many advantages there are to walking and then get out and do it.