More than 2,000 years ago Hippocrates said, “Walking is a man’s best medicine.” Not that you need to travel back in time for that pearl of wellness wisdom. But the man is considered the father of modern medicine and is widely respected for his contributions to the field, such as prognosis, clinical observation, the systematic categorization of diseases, and much more. When he extolled the virtues of walking he was certainly on to something.
Daily walking should be a regular part of your wellness routine. Walking offers a myriad of health-boosting benefits, especially daily walking. According to one study of 334,000 people by researchers at the University of Cambridge, just 20 minutes per day cuts your risk of premature death by nearly one third.
Still need motivation?
Dementia is now one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with the rate of deaths linked to the disease more than doubling over the past two decades. “Overall, age-adjusted death rates for dementia increased from 30.5 deaths per 100,000 in the year 2,000 to 66.7 in 2017,” say a team of researchers from the U. S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
In sheer numbers, the new analysis of death certificate data shows that dementia was noted as the primary cause of nearly 262,000 deaths in 2017, with 46 percent of those deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease-up from 84,000 deaths attributed to dementia in 2,000.
Sure, some of that uptick is due to the baby boomers reaching their senior years; and they’re also living longer, too. But if you’ve survived the scourge of heart disease, cancer, and other common ailments, which have taken countless lives, then you’re likely to suffer from some form of dementia, especially if you’re not regularly mobile.
But…walking every day, for at least 20 minutes, can help keep dementia at bay.
Part of living longer, and better, involves doing everything that you can like regular daily walking. Walking is also meditative, calming, reinvigorating and offers the opportunity to disconnect from the daily stressors that often rob you of your peace of mind and health.
When was the last time you went for a walk in the park or along the beach and left, thinking: “Those damn chirping birds and sunny rays are stressful?”
Here are 9 additional benefits of daily walking:
1) Walking may trim your waistline
Regular brisk walking can help you burn away the unwanted pounds around the middle.
2) Walking can improve your heart health
Walking has consistently shown to decrease the chances of developing heart disease.
3) Walking improves mental clarity
Walking every day improves your mental state, and affords you the invaluable minutes to destress and refocus.
4) Walking helps reduce excess weight
The only possible downside to regular daily walking is that before too long you’ll need a new wardrobe.
5) Walking can improve blood pressure
It has been widely proved that daily walking can improve blood pressure, without the need for blood pressure medications
6) Walking strengthens your bones
Osteoblasts are the cells in your bones that build new bone. They respond well to added stress. In short, if you have not been walking and start, your bones will grow stronger because you are adding stress.
7) Walking reduces body fat
Regular walking will reduce your amount of body fat while simultaneously increasing your muscle mass.
8) Walking is great for your brain
A study at the University of British Columbia found that regular aerobic exercise (walking) boosts the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning. In short, brisk, daily walks can help keep dementia at bay.
9) Walking increases your lifespan
Numerous studies have consistently shown that regular daily walking will extend your life as well as make you feel better. So go ahead, go for a walk right now, and ponder what you’ve just read here. You’re sure to have lots of stimulating fun during your daily walks.