There are many wonderful benefits you can get from walking. You can get both health and psychological benefits from walking. It does not matter if the walking is done outside or inside, the benefits will be the same, except you will miss some fresh air and maybe great scenery.
The relief of stress is the most common benefit you can get from walking or any type of exercise. Walking and other types of exercise will reduce both physical and mental stress.
Walking and other types of exercise helps to release endorphins. This is the chemical in the brain which creates the happiness and euphoria feelings. You don’t have to workout for several hours a day, or even in a gym, to release endorphins. A simple walk outside for half an hour can help release the happy chemicals in the brain.
Improved Self Confidence
Whether you walk on a treadmill or outside, it can improve self esteem and self image. Regardless of the way you look on the outside, walking can greatly increase right away how you feel about themselves. Walking definitely improves your self esteem, self image, and self worth, which in turn improves overall self confidence.
People with anxiety disorders, or just plain anxiety now and then, can get a calming effect from walking. The chemicals released in the brain, both during and after walking and other exercise, has been shown to have a calming effect on many different anxiety levels.
For some people, walking and other exercises are like a sleeping pill. Even for those people suffering from insomnia, walking even for half an hour a day can help them relax enough to fall asleep.
When you get a good walk workout in, your creativity levels are increased for up to two hours after the workout has been finished. Walking outdoors in the neighborhood, on a nature trail, or in woods, can increase your creativity levels more than it does on a treadmill.
Reduce the Risk of Diseases
Walking can greatly reduce a person’s risk of getting diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. It does not totally take the risk of getting those diseases away, but it does greatly reduce a person’s risk of getting those diseases. Apparently your risk of getting these diseases can be reduced in about six weeks.
Slow the Aging Process
Many people know being sedentary is not good for health and mental reasons. When a person in their 50’s and 60’s is active, like walking for half an hour or more each day, they are 35 percent less likely to die within the next eight years than a person of the same age who is sedentary. If the person who is active has a high risk factor, like heart disease or smoking, they will be 45 percent less likely to die than their sedentary counterparts in the next eight years.
If a person has weight to lose no matter how much, walking can help them to lose it. It is free to walk and it can be done outside or inside.
Strengthen Your Heart
Walking is an easy form of exercise you can do to raise their heart rate. When the heart rate is raised through exercise, the heart muscles will become stronger. If you walk every day for at least half an hour, the bad cholesterol levels will lower and the good cholesterol levels will increase. With the cholesterol numbers in the right range, a person’s heart will strengthen.
Can Help to Prevent Dementia
One in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six people 80 and older are affected by some level dementia. The brain function has a protective effect by being active. When you exercises every day for at least half an hour, even walking, it reduces the risk of dementia by up to 40 percent. Getting good walking workouts in every week can help to avoid brain shrinkage.
Can Help to Prevent Osteoporosis
Walking is considered to be a weight bearing activity, because people have to carry their weight around when they do it. This will stimulate the bones. By stimulating the bones, the bones will strengthen and increase their density.
Tone Legs, Butt and Tummy
Walking will strengthen and tone your legs from top to bottom. It will give definition to your calves, hamstrings, and quads. The muscles of the butt are lifted by walking. If you have a good posture while walking, your ab muscles in front and on the sides will become toned.
There are many wonderful health and psychological benefits of walking any psychologist like FPS will tell you. It is a low impact workout and is always free to do. So get out there in the hills and put one foot in front of the other.