Walking is one of the most effective exercise but also, sadly, one of the most unconsidered.
Let me explain why I call it the most effective. I do see your scepticism dear weightlifters , but keep reading and let’s address your objections in the end.
Human body evolved and adapted to walk. Through all human evolution (hundreds of thousands years) we walked for several hours per day, day after day. That created not only perfect anatomical adaptations (e.g. our posture, leg movements) but also physiological (e.g. perfect conditions for circulatory health) and even mental (we feel accomplished and rewarded after a long walk).
Human body evolved and adapted to walk.
What is the most notorious about walks is that walking has no side effects but endless list of benefits. I cannot think about any other exercise that has no side effects. I think it is the only exercise when we can generalise and say that truly, everybody will benefit from walking.
Lets first look into impressive list of health benefits from walking.
25 health benefits of walking in bullet points
- Improve circulation
- Preserve bone density
- Contribute to longevity
- Combat depression and anxiety
- Support joints and prevent arthritis
- Effectively burn calories
- Exercise all main muscle groups
- Detox through deeper breathing
- Slow down mental decline
- Counteract the effects of weight-promoting genes
- Reduce the risk of developing breast cancer
- Relieve all kinds of pain (migraine, joints, menstrual)
- Boost immune system
- Reduce your risk of chronic disease
- Delay the onset of varicose veins
- Improve digestion
- Boost creativity
- Lower blood sugar
- Reduces asthma flares
- Accelerate weight loss
- Decrease risk of developing metabolic syndrome
- Improves mood and make seem your goals more reachable
- Lessen risks of cognitive decline
- Protect your vision as you age
- Improve sleep
Impressive isn’t it?
Walking has the lowest entry barrier
Walking does not require any financial investments, but the the most important, there are no mental hurdles to start walking. For any other exercise there is a period of adaptation when hard pushing without seeing any benefits is expected, sometimes for weeks or even months. As a result people give up – think about all these New Year resolutions that barely last through January. Walking is different – changes in mood and sleep and even life perceptions become evident straight away without any hardship.
Walking does not require any financial investments, but the the most important, there are no mental hurdles to start walking.
Moreover, I don’t know any better way to simultaneously connect with inner self and with nature. To contrast high pace and high stress daily life go for a walk to slow down and appreciate. Have time to think through important things or just look around for beautiful details that surely are all around, in nature as well as in the city, just waiting to be discovered.
All in one, walking provides prime quality time, any time! Go for a walk and take a photo of a small thing that slowed your down in a good way. Walking is a life appreciation in a nutshell!
Accessories that I found useful to have during my walks
Tracking watch
I do count my steps and aim for at least 10 000 per day. So, I always wear my watch to track my steps and heart rate. I found it quite motivating to have my walks recorded so even when I feel like not walking, my activity graphs in free Garmin native app really keep me going. I found Garmin by accident without much research many years ago and never looked back. I bought my first watch something like 7 years ago and it is still working! So if you slightly tighter on you budget – do not hesitate, get Garmin Vivosmart HR+ and you will get everything you need to track your walks! If you are looking for a specific model, check what is currently available through Amazon – I selected for you everything with the highest ranking.
Water bottle
I am always carrying water with me: small bottle for short walks and big one for longer walks. I prefer plastic ones as they are weightless, however make sure that your bottle is BPA free. When I am in a day long hikes I am taking a 2L military grade water reservoir – it is absolute must have if you are concerned with weight and space in your backpack.
Backpack for hobbies
I often combine walking with some of my hobbies. I love to stop from time to time and do some reading or sketching. Thus a good backpack is a must. When I am choosing a backpack I am looking for 1) Good quality overall and in particular quality of zips – nothing is more annoying than a broken zip on your backpack! 2) Backpack should be waterproof as I want neither my books or my drawings to get wet. 3) My perfect backpack should have enough room but also be lightweight. My all time favourite is SwissGear – I own 3 different models and love them dearly! Their backpacks not only check all my must-have boxes but they are designed by people like me who really uses their backpacks daily, so each and every pocket is of the prefect size and is in perfect location. Truly love them!
Let me know in the comments below how often do you walk and whether you may consider to walk daily! If you already discovered joy of walking, please share what is your must-have accessories for a walk!
