As a society, we’ve become more sedentary as jobs increasingly require people to sit in front of a computer most of the day.
While technology has made our lives easier in many ways, it’s part of the reason for widespread obesity, heart disease, and other causes of early death.
Even if you eat well and maintain a healthy weight, you automatically have an increased health risk if your job requires you to sit at a desk.
So what’s the solution? That’s simply walking for 15 minutes a day.
Incorporating regular 15-minute brisk walks into your life brings a long list of rewards.
1. Improved mental outlook.
Everybody likes to feel good. Prevention states that taking a daily walk does the same for you mentally as drinking a glass of wine or eating dark chocolate. It’s a definite mood booster. You also don’t get the added calories, always a plus.
2. Maintains weight.
As your doctor likes to remind you, weight is harder to maintain as you age. Taking a walk every day helps boost your metabolism. Mayo Clinic points out that walking daily will help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your doctor happy, too.
3. Aids in sleep.
Michael Mosley, M.D., recommends morning walks for their numerous benefits. It’s a great way to start your day, boost your mood, and prime your body for a good night’s rest. On his podcast, he said, “Light brings your body clock forward.
“So in the evening, when you want to go to sleep, your body is ready for it. If you’re struggling to sleep at night, it could be because you’re not getting enough bright light in the morning.”
4. Prevents heart disease.
The Arthritis Foundation explains how walking improves your circulation, which in turn helps prevent heart disease.
5. Reduces breast cancer risk.
Breast cancer is a real concern for women. The good news, according to a Harvard Medical School study, is that women who walked 7 or more hours in a week were able to lessen their chances of developing breast cancer by 14 percent over women who walked less. This is a simple way to reduce the odds of developing this disease.
6. Boost the immune system.
Another useful fact from the Harvard study is that those who walk at least 20 minutes, 5 days a week were less likely to get sick. Those who did become ill had milder symptoms and for a shorter period of time than others.
7. Eases joint pain.
Any type of exercise, according to Mayo Clinic, will help ease joint pain, as it keeps the body moving and the joints lubricated. Walking is an easy, low-impact form of exercise.
8. Will make you “regular.”
Prevention shares that walking affects the GI system and helps regulate bowel movements. If you suffer from constipation, working in a daily walk to your routine may help solve your problems.
9. Stops the cravings.
Do you ever find yourself looking for sweets as you get stressed out? Taking a walk, according to Harvard Medical School, helps to curb the cravings. Simply getting out for 15 minutes can do the trick. You can even burn some calories and feel even better in the process.
10. Prevents some health conditions.
As you exercise and increase your circulation and heart rate, you strengthen the most important muscle in your body — your heart. This helps reduce your risk of heart disease. The Mayo Clinic says that walking will also help lower your risks of developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
