5 Ways Walking Leads to a Healthier You
Editor’s Note: Dr. Trevor Williams, team Chiropractor for the Cary Invasion Pro Basketball Team, shares with us the health benefits of walking and five reasons why you should start now.
Cary, NC — Throughout April, The Town of Cary hosted Fit Cary Month. How great is it to live in a town that supports community health and fitness so well?
Five Benefits of Walking
Hopefully you have been motivated to re-introduce regular exercise into your life. If you still haven’t, right now is the perfect time to begin an exercising routine.
Walking is a great way to get healthy, and research has demonstrated that there are countless benefits to walking thirty minutes a day, four or more times per week.
Let’s talk about five reasons why you should lace up your shoes and start walking!
Improve Cardiovascular Health
Walking has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States?
Walking and physical fitness can help your heart stay healthy and can even contribute to keeping your blood pressure in check as well as lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight. A brisk 30-45 minute walk puts your heart rate at 60-70% of your maximal heart rate, which is often described as the “fat burning zone.” This can help you achieve your goals of losing a few pounds or staying fit.
Get Vitamin D & Sunshine
Walking outside will give you some sunlight for Vitamin D production. Vitamin D is needed by your digestive system to properly absorb calcium, iron and other nutrients from your food and contributes to bone health as well as a host of other things.
Vitamin D is an important part of balanced nutrition, and the sun is an important source!
Help Bones & Joints
Walking is great for your bones and joints. Not only is walking relatively low force on the body, it also helps your joints to remain lubricated and can help prevent arthritis and osteoporosis.
As we age, women especially, our bones may be at risk of losing mineral density, known as osteopenia or osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercise such as walking will help your bones stay strong and reduce the risk of things like hip fractures or spinal compression fractures as we age.
As a chiropractor, I often see spinal degeneration in patients that many times could have been prevented somewhat by earlier conservative care and regular exercise. Walking is a fantastic way to be proactive about your joint health.
Improve Your Mood
Lastly, walking outside is fun and lifts your mood! We are extremely fortunate here in Cary to have such beautiful greenways and parks at our disposal.
Get outside under the Carolina blue skies and enjoy being outside. Better yet, walk with a friend or loved one! Setting fitness goals together will help you stay committed for the long run.
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Dr. Trevor Williams practices at Staker Chiropractic Center of Cary, located at 3550 NW Cary Parkway. Have something you would like to discuss with Dr. Williams? Visit Staker Chiropractic online or stop by the office. Photo from www.active.com.
My walking is done mostly inside because I’m a “mall walker. ” But I love the peaceful thoughts I have on my walks and often smile at strangers because I feel like it. Walking is good for the soul as well as body!