You don’t have to put your body through an intense workout to be healthy. A recent study shows simply walking at a quicker pace for just 30 minutes a day could help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for men and women.
“Walking or really any aerobic activity helps make the heart a bit more efficient. So therefore, as you’re improving fitness or improving your ability to tolerate a specific load, your heart actually becomes more effective with each contractility or each heart pump that it provides for that type of exercise,” explained Cleveland Clinic Cardiologist Dr. Tamanna Singh.
Singh said walking is often the easiest exercise -- not to mention it can be done anywhere. She recommends it to most of her patients and all you really need is a good pair of shoes.
As far as what you need to do, Singh says:
- Work up to walking at a quicker pace for 30 minutes if needed. Don’t feel like you have to start at that level right away.
- Focus on remaining consistent. That’s what’s going to help lead to lifelong results and improve cardiovascular risk.
- Find someone or something to keep you motivated.
“Walking with a buddy sometimes helps build socialization and accountability, so oftentimes I’ll recommend that. Using a pet, so if you have a dog, making sure that you’re the one who’s going to walk your dog every day. Or if you have particular songs or podcasts that you really enjoy listening to, maybe save the ones you really enjoy or your favorites for those walks to again provide incentive and ultimately build consistency,” Singh suggested.
She said you shouldn’t feel bad if you do miss a day of walking or don’t do as much as you wanted. What matters is being intentional about it and trying to develop a habit.
According to Harvard and other research, there are some other benefits of walking you might not realize. For example, walking can:
- Help tame a sweet tooth (Studies show walking for 15 minutes can help curb chocolate cravings).
- Counteract the effects of weight-promoting genes.
- Ease joint pain.
- Delay the onset of varicose veins.
- Boost immune function.
- Improve your sleep.
If you are looking for more ways to improve your sleep, Consumer Reports took a closer look at supplements and bedding that could help you get your Zs without wasting your money.