Six Reasons to Walk More This Year
Did you know you can walk your way to a healthier lifestyle and better heart health?
“While it may seem simple, walking on a daily basis is a great way to improve your overall cardiovascular health,” shared Joel Reinoehl, MD, FACC, cardiologist with Bronson Advanced Cardiac Healthcare. “Much like other forms of exercise, it helps to strengthen your heart muscle, allowing the heart to become better at pumping blood and oxygen throughout your body.”
Here are six reasons why walking more can benefit you and your heart:
- Improves Mood
Exercise in general helps to boost your mood! If you are trying to maintain positive mental health, walking is a great way to ensure you are happier in life.
- Increases Energy Levels
Walking boosts circulation and increases oxygen supply to every cell in your body which helps you to feel more alert and alive. Try walking during your lunch break to help you achieve more on your to-do-list in the afternoon.
- Lowers Heart Disease Risk
You can help lower your risk for heart disease and stroke by walking on a regular basis. This is especially helpful if you spend a lot of time sitting which increases your risk. The American Heart Association says that a brisk 30-minute walk every day helps to prevent and control high blood pressure. Each step you take helps strengthen your heart!
- Helps with Weight Loss
Just by walking at around 2 mph for 30 minutes you can burn around 75 calories. With this in mind, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you’ll burn.
- Increases Metabolism
Brisk walking uphill or walking moderately for more than an hour are ways you can rev up your metabolism when walking. By increasing your personal effort when walking, your body increases its demand for energy, which increases your metabolism.
- Reduces Stress
When stress is constant, your body remains in high gear for days or weeks at a time. Although the link between stress and heart disease isn’t clear, chronic stress may have a big impact on your overall health.
Ready to get out and start walking? If so, it is vital to work on proper technique to ensure you reap all the benefits. If you are just starting out, make sure you begin with short distances, focus on maintaining good posture and breathing deeply.
Talk to your primary care doctor prior to starting an exercise plan. Your healthcare provider can provide additional information for safe exercising and the benefits of regular exercise.
Register for the Bronson Children’s Hospital 5k Run & Walk
A great way to maintain a new exercise regimen is to have a goal to work towards. The Bronson Children’s Hospital 5k Run & Walk in Kalamazoo on Sunday, September 25, is an event you might want to consider. Not only is it a great to get your daily walk, it benefits area children who are fighting for their health at Bronson Children’s Hospital.
The Bronson Heart & Vascular team is committed to heart and vascular disease prevention, and sharing easy steps you can take to live a healthier life. Looking for a Bronson doctor to help you? For a complete list of providers at Bronson, visit bronsonhealth.com/find-a-doctor or call Bronson HealthAnswers at (269) 341-7723.
