Walking has so many health benefits, doctors in the UK recommend it to patients instead of prescribing pharmaceuticals drugs.
Walking for just 30 minutes a day can improve your health by 19%. And a growing body of research shows walking has numerous other health benefits as well.
Among the health advantages of walking are weight loss and the opportunity to manage Type II diabetes. Walking stimulates the cardiovascular system, improves glucose control and boosts mood.
CDC statistics reveal that more than one-third of Americans are obese or overweight. That suggests millions of people are not eating a healthy diet or getting enough exercise.
It’s a similar story in the UK. Government statistics show that 28% per cent of the nation are obese and 36.2% are overweight.
The weight problem and lack of exercise are having a detrimental effect on people’s health; particularly those with sedentary jobs. You could be more vulnerable to Covid-19.
Is Sedentary the new Smoking?
Research has also shown that sitting down for most of the day is slowly killing us. Sedentary jobs are so damaging to our health, it has been labelled the “new smoking”.
It’s well documented that people with healthy eating habits who exercise regularly are ill less often. The reason for this is because their immune system is in good working condition.
A number of studies show a lack of exercise is a contributing factor of chronic disease. The reason for this is because sitting hampers blood circulation so that fatty acid build-up. This can lead to heart disease.
Others studies show 40-minutes of brisk walking offsets 10-hours of sitting.
Given the amount of medical research that demonstrates health habits and unhealthy habits, it’s clear what more people have to do. And whilst exercise is not appealing to everyone, walking is a simple entry-level form of exercise because we have to walk almost every day anyway.
It won’t take much to build walking routines into your daily schedule.
As a matter of fact, health experts say that people with Type II diabetes, and those that are overweight, shouldn’t rush into exercise. You should take it stead and allow your body to become accustomed to exertion.
Exercise psychologist Keith M. Diaz MD recommends taking a 5-minute walking breaking for every 30 minutes of sitting.
Adopting walking as your primary form of exercise can be that simple. You could also walk more often instead of taking the car, take a longer route to work and make walks in the park or in nature a weekend activity.
Earn Money From Walking
In an attempt to promote healthy living, Sweatcoin created a walking app you can download to your mobile phone. The app has a built-in pedometer that counts every step you take.
But as an added bonus, you earn digital tokens simply by walking. The more you walk the more you earn. The digital tokens – known as SWC – can be exchanged for merchandise with over 300 partners.
So, if you have the opportunity to improve your health and earn money, is it time you started waking more often?
