Benefits of Walking Everyday

The joys of walking are unmatched, and I’ve learnt this as I go for a walk every day. The benefits of walking everyday are so many that it is hard to overlook them.

Very few people really know about the benefits of walking or the joys of walking, and rarely do they enjoy it in the true sense, which hardly requires anything other than a positive mindset and attitude. I remember a beautiful quote at this point-

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A major benefit of walking every day for me is to be able to connect with nature. I love to look around, be in the present, enjoy the nature, breathe in the fresh air, watch the flowers down the path, feel the moment, hear the chirping of the birds, and enjoy walking every day.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”  ~John Muir

I would like to mention the major benefits of walking for those who do wish to start and those who are already walking-

• It’s good for your heart and helps reduce coronary heart diseases, stroke, and high cholesterol.
• It lowers blood pressure, body fat, and controls body weight.
• It cuts down on aches, pains, arthritis, back pains, and so many other ailments.
• It helps you sleep better and increases your energy levels.
• It reduces the risk of breast-cancer, colon cancer, and non-insulin dependent diabetes.
• It’s good for the brain, bones, muscles, and overall health and fitness.
• It’s a low-impact exercise, thus produces less stress on the knees and joints than other activities.
• It increases mental well being, elevates your mood, helps overcome depression and anxiety, and releases tension.
• It prolongs your life by nearly 2 minutes, and walking 20 minutes every day burns off 7 pounds of fat per year.

Let me share the place where I go for my walk with all of you, which is simply out of the world! Once I cross the roads across my house and walk a little distance, I come across a small, beautiful pathway leading right into the open fields.

There is a backdrop of lush green mountains and trees that reach the sky. The path meanders all around and between these fields, with pretty flowers by the side of the path, squirrels playing around, and birds gathering their meals, with the farmers off to their work early in the morning.

I always do get wonderful ideas for my posts and creative ideas for working, and this mostly happens when I walk, so I add that as one of my major benefits of walking!

“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ~Raymond Inmon

(It works for a woman too!!)

Walking is an enjoyable activity as I have come to realize, and it becomes more enjoyable if you have someone to walk along with you. Some people prefer walking alone, while many people like taking their dogs for a walk, whereas others like walking with their partners or friends. Either ways, walking is a wonderful activity, especially if you want to become best friends with your spouse !

Earlier I was walking every day, but was doing so alone- till the time my husband and I decided to walk together and stick to a routine. I need to thank him for making our walking schedule that involves me taking the lead early in the morning.

My husband, who prefers jogging to walking, takes his 15 minutes to jog and joins me walking on our way back home. That is one of the greatest benefits of walking for me, as I get to spend those lovely moments in nature with him. I have often told my husband who is my best walking friend, these lines-

“Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” ~ Albert Camus

Starting to walk everyday or starting a walking program takes initiative; though sticking with it takes commitment. But when you think about the health benefits of walking, it’s all worth your effort.

Health and fitness experts recommend walking daily up to a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes at least five days a week, which helps you lose and maintain overall weight and good health, as well as live longer and better. Start gradually and increase your walking time and speed by a few minutes each week.

To sum up things, remember that- “After a day’s walk everything has twice its usual value.”  ~George Macauley Trevelyan, thus with so many benefits of walking what moves you to get started?

With the festive holidays just round the corner, where Christmas is just knocking at our doorstep, aren’t you going to make a New Year Resolution for 2012 to walk every day?

Would you like to start walking or have you already made the move? Do you love walking every day? What have you experienced while you walk? Share in the comments below.

 

 

Photo Credit: Paskelius