Thursday 15 October 2015

Health benefits of taking a walk

Taking a walk is an easy and free form of exercising the body suitable for people of different age grade.
Below are a few health benefits of taking a walk


1. It prevents Dementia and Osteoporosis
Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive function due to a damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Areas particularly affected include memory, attention, judgment, language and problem solving. Dementia affects one in 14 people  over 65 and one in 6 over 80. Being active has a protective effect on  brain function and regular exercise including walking reduces dementia risk by up to 40 per cent. According to Age UK , older people who walk six miles or more per week could avoid brain shrinkage and so preserve memory as the year pass. And Osteoporosis -walking counts as a weight bearing activity, it stimulates and strengthen bones increasing their density  and it also helps the women in maintaining healthy joints and staff off all conditions such as arthritis.

2. It gives energy
A short walk is one of the best natural  energizer in the world. It boost circulation and increases oxygen supply to every cell in the body helping the body to be more alert and alive. It wakes up stiff joints and ease muscle tension so you feel less sluggish. Instead of taking a nap try the short road walk.

3. It keeps weight in check
To loose weight you need to burn about 600 calories a day more than you are eating and taking a walk on a regular basis is the best way to do that. Walking also increases muscles mass and tone and  the more muscles you have, the faster your metabolism and the more calories you burn.

4. It lowers the risk of diseases
Consistent walking can slash the risk of  developing asthma, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Consistent walking for about 20minutes a day can help ward off diabetes according to British Medical Journal. It also reduces by 20% the risk of developing cancer of the Colon, breast and womb.

5. It strengthens the heart
Taking a walk has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Exercise gets the blood pumping and raises the heart rate and the circulatory system. Walking briskly for about 30 minutes can help prevent and control high blood pressure by 27 per cent. So taking a walk will the level of LDL (bad ) cholesterol and increase the level of  HDL (good) cholesterol and keep blood pressure in check.

Take a walk more regularly and keep your circulatory system doing its job effectively.

No comments:

Post a Comment