A famous proverb said: “If you are facing the right direction, all you have to do is keep on walking.” What way are you going? Isn’t it toward a healthier, happier, steadier life? A daily walk has proven to be beneficial for the whole-being, including physical, emotional, and financial.

Physical well-being

Walking is the longest studied form of exercise by scientist. Combined research proves that as little as one hour of walking per week can improve blood glucose in type 2 diabetes, (1) reduce the risk of disease (2) and stroke , and is effective for lower back pain (3). This inexpensive low-impact exercise not only decreases body fat but increases muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, and coordination and balance (4). True to the saying, a brisk walk a day keeps the doctor away!

Emotional Well-being

Who does not want to be happier? Depression has increased as exercise decreased. Aerobic exercising, such as walking, proves to reduce anxiety, depression, and negative moods. Thirty minutes of brisk walking for 3 days a week can improve self-esteem and social withdrawal. Even if you don’t have a full thirty minutes, three 10-minutes walks can be as beneficial (5.) Grab a friend or your dog and walk outside to soak in the sun for added mood-boosting benefits. Even walking on the treadmill will improve your sleep, increase your energy, and relieve stress. Not only are you burning calories and improving your physical health, but your burning negativity and improving your emotional health. Pepper Giardino once said, “Walking is good for solving problems-it’s like the feet are little psychiatrists.”

Financial Well-Being

According to the article What’s the Value of Exercise? $2,500 by the New York Times states that just 30 minutes of walking five days a week will reduce medical costs. A study conducted by the Lancet revealed that inactivity costs health care systems annually nearly $68 billion worldwide in medical expenses and loss of productivity (6). Physical activity is great for your savings account. On average, those who meet the exercise guidelines paid less annually for health insurance. Physically active adults can see a savings of more than $2500 a year. Who wouldn’t want an extra couple of grand in their wallet?

Summary

The benefits of walking are as numerous as the amount of steps you walk in a mile. Walking is free, easy, and fits every age and fitness level. Even if you choose a short stroll post meal or a brisk pace early in the morning, your life will improve physically, emotionally, and financially. So, face the right direction by putting on your walking shoes, and step toward the future you want.

sources

1 Fritz, T. and U. Rosenqvist, ‘Walking for exercise? Immediate effect on blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes’, Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care (2001) 19(1): 31–3:
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/pri.19.1.31.33

2 Boone‐Heinonen, J., K.R. Evenson, D.R. Taber and P. Gordon‐Larsen, ‘Walking for prevention of cardiovascular disease in men and women: a systematic review of observational studies’ Obes Rev (2009) 10: 204–17:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19207874

3 Hendrick, P., A.M. Te Wake, A.S. Tikkisetty, L. Wulff, C. Yap and S.
Milosavljevic, ‘The effectiveness of walking as an intervention for low back pain: a systematic review’, Eur Spine J (2010) 19: 1613–20: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20414688

4 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/walking-for-good-health

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30383-X/supplemental