Better health is just a few steps away

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The only form of exercise our bodies are designed for also produces a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Imagine that: we are designed to do something that really benefits us! Think about it, wherever you go, you have to take at least a few steps to get there, even if it means going from the couch to the kitchen to get another beer out of the fridge. Making a habit of taking a few more steps every day can optimize your body to keep going much longer and in much better shape.

Walking as exercise helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. The benefits of walking are just as powerful in protecting the body against heart attacks as other, more strenuous forms of exercise. This protection extends to boosting your immune system, which helps protect your body from attack by a variety of diseases and inflammation, including arthritis. This boost to your immune system can also make you look and feel younger, in just a few weeks.

Walking also burns calories, making it a great way to shed unwanted pounds. This helps you fit into your old clothes, feel better, and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Walking increases your energy levels throughout the day so you can get things done without thinking you need that afternoon snack. Walking reduces cravings, which helps resist snacking and can help you avoid other bad habits, like smoking.

In addition to all the physical health benefits, walking is also good for your brain and mental health. Walking stimulates neuron growth and synaptic activity in the frontal lobes of the brain. Yes, your brain actually grows as you walk. This will improve your cognitive performance and may help reduce decline in older people.

Walking relieves stress by balancing hormones and reducing cortisol levels created in reaction to the day’s physical and emotional stress. This has immediate benefit in improving your mood, reducing anxiety, and can be a powerful tool in combating depression. This mood-enhancing ability to walk is further enhanced if you can walk in a park or next to trees and grass. Engaging your brain in nature stimulates more stress-relieving processes and you’ll instantly feel relaxed.

If you’re not used to walking regularly, start by talking about short, frequent walks. Fit them into your routine, where you can take ten or fifteen minutes to think about something or reflect on the day as you move. Slowly increase your speed and distance as you feel comfortable and make walking a regular, daily activity. In fact, try to think of walking as your “go to” practice whenever you’re faced with a particularly stressful moment, or if you need to muddle through with a problem.

If someone wants to discuss something with you for fifteen or twenty minutes, suggest that they go on a walk with you. Both will benefit from exercise and may even produce better solutions in their more relaxed state with neurons firing positively. Having a regular walking partner also helps you stay accountable and committed to your walking routine. Aside from comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing, walking doesn’t require special programs, gym memberships, or specially acquired skills. Walking is nature’s way of improving your life. After all, you were designed for it.

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