Are you feeling stressed or anxious all the time? If yes, then you need to get moving. Exercising daily or simply walking or jogging can help you loosen up, burn some calories, and improve your mood. According to NDSU, walking promotes the release of brain chemicals called endorphins that induce relaxation and improve your mood. Even a stroll in a comfortable place can help you relax and feel better.

A daily stroll in a park or on your neighborhood street can do wonders for your mental and physical health. According to Sage Journals, moderate and vigorous levels of walking can promote staunch mental health in older adults. It also helps get your mind off daily stressors.

A change of scenery, fresh air, and greenery are natural stress relievers. According to a study in NCBI, a 10-minute walk can improve mood in young adults compared to no physical activity. Researchers also claim that a single bout of brisk walking can enhance mood states in young adults.

Moreover, according to Web MD, it offers the physical benefits of exercise while boosting your emotional health and easing the symptoms of chronic health diseases like anxiety and depression.

Walking provides numerous benefits, some of which are, written below:

Helps clear your mind

Whether you’re a full-time student or a practicing nurse, you may have a lot on your hands. For instance, if you’re a practicing nurse pursuing higher education, you’ll have numerous deadlines plus patients to look after. You will constantly feel the physical and emotional burden of your studies, patient complaints, and whatnot. However, online programs such as the accelerated BSN online programs will prove manageable. Still, such things can make you weary, tired, and constantly stressed. If this is the case, walking is what you need.

A quick stroll outside the hospital or dorm room to get some fresh air will help you relax and ease your mind off the backbreaking workload. According to Psychology Today, a short walk prepares your muscles for strenuous work, improves efficiency, prevents injuries, and reduces the strain on your heart.

Nursing is a physically demanding career, so it’s viable to follow the physical activity guidelines that CDC suggests. According to the CDC, 2.5 hours of moderate activity, 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, or a mixture of two are beneficial for working professionals.

Strengthens the heart

Walking is an aerobic exercise, and aerobic exercises make your heart beat faster and makes you breathe harder, strengthening your heart muscles. Exercise like walking can increase blood circulation to your vital organs and amplify oxygen levels in your blood.

According to the researchers of Lawrence Berkely Nation Laboratory in California, both vigorous-intensity running and moderate-intensity walking cause almost similar reductions in three risk factors. These include heart disease and stroke- high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Moreover, walking burns calories that assist in attaining a healthy weight and keeps obesity issues in check. Too much weight can strain the heart and cause heart problems. According to the American Heart Association, obesity is related to coronary heart disease and hypertension: a risk factor for heart disease. And this is three times more common in obese than in normal-weight people.

Reduces the risk of cancer

Walking is indeed beneficial for people battling cancer. According to Cancer.org, women who walk seven or more hours (weekly) have a 14% lower risk of acquiring breast cancer than women who walk three hours or fewer.

Walking is known to prevent several diseases. According to Web MD, walking can improve the chances of survival and reduce the risk of colon cancer recurring in treated patients by 50%.

Hence, it is evident that walking increases the quality of life and reduces mortality in patients with chronic illnesses.

Good for your bones

Walking is a weight-bearing activity that assists in building muscle and strengthening bones. The more you walk, the more powerful your bones, hips, and legs will become. It is also known to minimize the risk of fractures. According to Harvard Health, women who walk 4 hours per week have a 41% less chance of hip fractures than those who walk only one hour per week.

Walking also increases bone mineral density aiding in stronger bones. Postmenopausal women are prone to fractures and are vulnerable to having low bone density. According to NCBI, healthy postmenopausal women who walk at least 1 mile each day have higher bone density than women who walk short distances. It also states that walking is beneficial for maintaining skeletal integrity.

Bone diseases can become crippling illnesses over time. However, increasing body movement can help manage, prevent or even reverse these diseases.

Enhances energy and stamina

A quick stroll is beneficial in improving heart and brain health, but walking long distances will increase your willpower and make you resilient and tough. According to NCBI, aerobic exercise is a type of exercise that positively relates to stamina, fitness, and massive health benefits.

You can include plenty of uphill or incline roads in your walking path to increase your stamina. Downloading a fitness tracker app can help you monitor your progress and set goals for yourself to stay active and increase your endurance.

Promotes weight loss

Walking is known to promote weight loss and improve mind and body connectivity. Nowadays, staying fit and healthy is a popular trend. People who are fit and healthy are happy and under less societal stress.

According to NCBI, aerobic physical activity benefits weight maintenance after weight loss and reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome. It also improves brain health, normalizes blood lipid levels, and helps with cancer or its side effects.

Improves brain function and sleep

According to the Mail UK, scientists have discovered that walking or jogging activates soothing neurons in the brain. Harvard researchers also claim that walking at a moderate pace for one hour twice a week can reduce brain fog and increase your ability to solve problems.

Walking is also known to help you to sleep better. According to a study at the University of Arizona, walking six blocks a day can improve sleep in women.

Conclusion

Walking is known to have many benefits, whether they are physical or mental. It is known to cure numerous ailments, improve mood, and alleviate stress levels. Therefore, walking is the perfect form of exercise that helps you release tension and live a happy and healthy life.

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