We can all check off a number of benefits which come from walking, some of the obvious ones being enhanced cardiovascular/pulmonary functioning, protection against diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and some forms of cancer and probably a longer and healthier life. But the list of benefits goes on and here are 10 more, some of which might surprise you.
1. We are designed to walk, which means that walking is usually an injury-free experience that we can practice almost any time, any place and anywhere. Walking can be social or solitary, vigorous or easy, early or late and provides more health benefits than any medication.
2. Walking burns calories at the rate of about 100 calories per mile (about 65 calories per kilometer). Regular walking is great for weight maintenance and can be a significant part of a weight loss program when combined with dietary restriction. (See “The Power of 15” in my new book “Walking, Weight and Wellness”).
3. Walking increases cerebral blood flow, (the blood flow to the brain). Many great thinkers, writers, scientists and philosophers used walking to ‘open up the mind’. It was Charles Dickens who said, “The length of my walking is the length of my writing.” Einstein was another famous walker.
4. Walking leads to an increase of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. This is associated with a decrease in tension and feelings of relaxation. In her well-researched book, “When Your Body Gets the Blues”, Dr. M. A. Brown of the University of Washington cites a number of studies showing how exercise stress-proofs the brain.
5. The presence of serotonin and dopamine can lead to a “walker’s high”, which is more subtle than the endorphin rush of a runner’s high. (Although a brisk walk might well elicit some endorphin release). The walker’s high tends to be a sustained feeling of peace, clear thinking and lack of tension. This means a good lunchtime walk can often set you up for the afternoon, giving you a “two morning day”. The sugar high from a chocolate bar or donut is short lived, but the walker’s high keeps on giving.
6. By decreasing stress you also decrease the levels of cortisol in your blood. High levels of cortisol are associated with accumulation of abdominal fat, or visceral fat, which is linked more strongly to various disease states than BMI. Brisk walking is right in the ‘fat burning’ zone of the metabolism.
7. Walking uses energy, but it also creates a feeling of energy, so that someone who starts a walk tired might finish feeling refreshed.
8. Exercise, such as walking, tends to suppress appetite. There is some evidence for this, particularly in males, but the research is not robust. What is clear is that under controlled conditions people who have been involved in moderate activity consume no more calories than sedentary subjects.
9. Brisk walking enhances the functioning of the immune system with increases in T-lymphocytes (T-cells), B-lymphocytes (B-cells), leukocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. This would help explain the results of a 2006 study by Dr. Cornelia Ulrich, published in the American Journal of Medicine. In the study, 115 post-menopausal women were split into 2 exercise groups, one of which did a brisk 45 minute walk 5 days a week, while the other group did a gentle stretching program. The stretching group were more than twice as likely to come down with colds during the 12-month study.
10. If you walk outside, instead of remaining indoors you will be getting a bonus, which might not have occurred to you. A well-lit home or office will typically provide between 100 and 400 lux (units of light). Outdoors on a cloudy day you will be exposed to between 5000 to 10,000 lux, while on a sunny day it can be 80,000 lux. Light recharges our personal solar batteries and, like the act of walking, leads to an increase in serotonin and dopamine in the brain. The SAD syndrome (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can often be relieved by having people spend more time outside and by using artificial light therapy. A Russian study by Pinchasor et al. Psychiatry Research (2000) found that increased exposure to light led to increases in metabolism and the burning of more calories.
Indeed it pays off in many ways to go outside, take a walk and lighten up.
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