May is dedicated to National Walking Month. As it gets a warmer and the days are longer, it can make going for a walk much more enjoyable.
Walking offers a wealth of health benefits and is the simplest way to get moving.
We're exploring some of the main health and well-being benefits of walking. We've also put together some of our top tips to make walking more enjoyable and to spark that motivation.
Walking can be one of the simplest ways to get moving, bringing us a wealth of benefits. Walking can be considered low-intensity cardio, as it elevates your heart rate and burns calories.
In particular, walking as we begin to age can help our health. 21 minutes of walking a day can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%.
Some of the main benefits of walking for our physical health includes:
Walking benefits your cardiovascular health. As cardio involves heart and blood vessels, a good cardio workout gets your heart pumping faster.
Some of the benefits of good cardiovascular fitness include:
Although walking can be a good contributor, to really improve your cardiovascular fitness, opt for a faster pace or an uphill walk that challenges you.
Walking is a weight bearing exercise that builds and maintains strong bones. Bone strength starts to decline at a rate of 1% per year after the age of 40. Therefore, walking benefits us by helping to slow down bone loss.
Of course, higher impact activities will have stronger benefits on bones and it's important to remember walking only benefits bones in your lower body, but it's definitely a good place to start.
Whilst walking alone won't make you lose weight, incorporating walking and physical activity with a balanced diet, can help to aid weight loss.
For example, walking will help you to burn calories. The more you walk and the faster you walk will contribute to burning more calories. Walking also increases your metabolic rate, helping you to burn more calories at rest.
30 minutes of brisk walks each day could help you burn around 150 more calories per day, so it's important to make sure you're getting active in addition to a healthy diet if you're trying to lose or manage weight.
Walking can contribute to improved mood and can improve sleep patterns, which can contribute to your mental health overall. A good sleep cycle has been known to benefit and have positive effects on improving mental health.
Walking releases endorphins, which increase feelings of well-being. The more you walk, the more endorphins you produce.
Walking will also increase your heart rate and in doing so improve blood flow and speed up oxygen delivery throughout the body. All of which helps to reduce stress levels, allows you to think more clearly and feel more energised.
In a National Library of Medicine study on sleep health it was reported that participants who were more active, and took more steps, reported sleeping better than those who were less active.
Better sleep being defined as achieving deeper, better quality sleep leading to feeling more rested. In turn, this can mean being able to think more clearly, reduce feelings of stress, and improve concentration levels.
Walking improves blood flow to the brain which means you are left feeling more energised. Feeling more energised means you are able to engage with your daily activities better and more energy is an instant mood booster, especially combined with the increase of endorphins too.
More energy can mean being more productive and achieving more, leading to feelings of satisfaction and relief. Learn more in our blog walking for mental health.
Walking can be much more enjoyable when you’ve got a good route to follow; think scenery and nature.
Some great places to walk include: near lakes, by the beach or local forests and natural green spaces. These areas have great benefits, such as promoting mental well-being and reducing stress. Choosing a route that’s enjoyable to walk, can make it a much more enjoyable walk.
If you’re lucky enough to live near the coast, walking on the beach can be beneficial for you. Sea air is reported to keep your lung function healthy, as it thins any mucus by breaking it down. This is all thanks to the salt air’s natural antibacterial properties – Women’s Fitness.
If you are a dog owner, dog walks are a great way to get more steps in. If you want to increase the number of steps or amount of cardiovascular exercise you're doing, taking longer routes or increasing the number of walks a day can be a great option to unleash the benefits of walking.
The great thing about dog walking is no matter the weather or how you feel, you need to give your pet some exercise! And even if you don’t fancy it, you’ll definitely come back feeling better after fresh air and getting some steps in.
Fear not if you don’t have a dog, why not join a friend or family member on their dog walk?
Walking alone might seem dull or boring. If that is the case, arranging walks with friends or family can be a good option.
Chatting the time away will make walking more enjoyable and may not even feel like exercise. Another benefit of a walking buddy is you could create a structured walking routine, meaning you may be more motivated and less likely to skip your daily walk.
Walking groups can be a great motivation to get walking. You can meet new people and even learn new routes to walk. Being part of a walking group can be something to look forward to and definitely make walking more enjoyable.
The British Heart Foundation can help you to find details of walking groups near you.
Another key factor to motivate walking are the benefits on the environment. Switching the wheel for your feet where you can, can have benefits on the environment.
Walking to work a few days a week, or during weekend activities, is a great contribution. Not to mention, walking is free with no transport costs. It also contributes to quiet environments, reducing noise pollution.
Nothing gives you motivation or gets you in the mood like being comfortable on a walk. Investing in the right shoes will also be comfortable and not cause blisters. They can also prevent a potential injury.
Some of the recommended key things to look for and consider when finding a good walking shoe includes:
If you do opt for walking on your own, one thing that can definitely help to keep you going is a good playlist.
Get together some upbeat and motivating songs or just some of your favourites, pop your headphones on and get walking. You’ll be surprised how the time passes as you enjoy some music!
It will help to get you into the rhythm of the walk. Studies have shown that music whilst walking benefits us by, increasing motivation, distracts from feelings of fatigue and improves efficiency of walks.
If you’re struggling to stay motivated, apps can be handy for tracking your walk. You can see your walking progress, estimate calories burned and miles walked.
This can be great for keeping you motivated and also tracking progress. App such as Strava, MapMyWalk and FitBit have all been recommended as good tools for walking motivation.
You can access amazing Fitbit and apple watch offers through UK leading insurers we are partnered with. Bupa offer 20% off Fitbit products and Vitality offers an Apple Watch offer through qualifying health insurance plans with a points system where the more you move, the less you will pay.
Although walking seems like a simple daily task we do without realising, it can have a wealth of benefits on our health.
Finding new ways to walk can be a great way to make walking less dull and more of a fun hobby or exercise regime. Prioritising our health and well-being can be essential in living a healthy life and protecting our future health.
Health insurance policies are a great way to put your health first and help with motivation for a healthier lifestyle.
If you want to find out more about how health insurance can help your health and well-being, why not book a free consultation with one of our expert advisers? You can fill out the form below or give them a call on: 01285 864670.