Adding walking into your regular routine is a great way to improve your cardiovascular
health, help maintain your weight, and improve your mental health. But is it necessary
every day? Here are some things to consider.
Walking Gets Your Body Moving Every Day
Walking comes in many forms, from going to the gym to walk on the treadmill, to
walking your dogs or heading to the nearby park for a short hike. But no matter what
type of walking you do, it gets your body moving and blood pumping.
More than anything else, you just want to move your body in some way every day. Don’t
save all forms of movement for days when you are doing intense workouts or major
weight training at the gym. Walking is good for your overall health, and a great way to
encourage you to keep moving.
It is Great for Your Heart Health
Your heart needs you to move your body! Even if you aren’t interested in burning
calories or increasing your fitness, walking is amazing for your cardiovascular health.
The more you get your heart pumping on a regular basis, the stronger your heart is
going to get. You will notice a lot of times organizations like the American Heart
Association recommend walking above else because of how beneficial it can be for your
cardiovascular health. Luckily, it only requires a few minutes a day.
Walking Can be a Form of Active Rest
For people who do other workout routines like strength training, marathon training, or
cross training, walking is often used for “active rest” days. No matter what fitness routine
or program you are doing, there are always 1-2 rest days every week. However, many
of them encourage active rest days. This means you aren’t doing the other workouts
and are resting your muscles, but might still do some basic activity, like walking.
It Helps with Your Mental Health
Your emotional and mental health really improves a lot when you can walk on a regular
basis, preferably every day. The more you can walk, the more your mind becomes
clearer, your mood is boosted, you get natural energy, and you reduce your stress.
Walking is an excellent way to reduce your stress and anxiety, and can even help with
symptoms of depression.
It is a Healthy Habit for the Family
Lastly, your family will benefit from walking every day as a healthy habit that you can
participate in together. You want your family to be healthy, but it’s not just about what
meals they eat. They should also be getting regular exercise, and what could be easier
than going for a daily walk together?