Going for walks in the fresh air is the most natural and original way for people to get from one place to another. However, owing to modern means of transport and lack of time, we rarely complete even short distances under our own steam these days. Inactivity and health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases or conditions relating to the locomotor system are the consequence.
To counteract these problems, walking as a national pastime is becoming increasingly popular. Walking is suitable for any age range, and even when you’re not particularly fit and other sports are tough, you can still go walking.
Those who may be short of money or lacking time for an extended holiday can still go on excursions on foot right outside their front door. Walking can be easily incorporated into the day. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive hill hike after all. Even in a town, walking enthusiasts can have a good time and combine walking with sightseeing for example. And yes, walking has benefits for your health.
What exactly does walking for health entail?
The activity is regarded as walking when it takes up more time. Walking is usually longer than going for a stroll and requires at least some preparation. Normally, you’d have a backpack with supplies as well as weatherproof clothing and you plan your route in advance.
The lines are fluid though and it doesn’t really matter whether you’re talking about an extended stroll or going walking. The important thing is: those who are out and about on foot are doing something positive for their health.
Health benefits of walking
Walking makes a demand on every part of your body. Yes, walking has health benefits: The large muscle groups in the legs, buttocks and back are strengthened in particular. Trained leg muscles relieve the knee and hip joints, counteracting wear. Well-developed back muscles improve posture and prevent back pain. If you’re using hiking poles, you’re additionally strengthening the muscles in your shoulders and arms. The following applies in general: muscle development reduces the risk of injury as well as problems with the locomotor system.
If you’re walking on rough terrain, you’ll also work on surefootedness, balance and reflexes. This lowers the risk of falling and gives you more confidence during everyday activities.
The movement during walking also strengthens your bones, joints, tendons and ligaments, stimulating your cardiovascular system. The constant yet moderate strain strengthens your heart muscle, thus improving its pumping capacity. This will give you a lower heart rate at rest and when subjected to strain. People suffering from high blood pressure also benefit from walking.
Last but not least, walking benefits also include positive effects on your mental health. And as we know, a healthy mind is associated with a healthy body. Walking and exercise reduce stress, and the beauty of nature helps you to relax and gives you inner rest.
Walking is particularly suitable for anyone new to exercise because the smooth movements subject the body to some strain but won’t cause quick exhaustion. While you’re staying in your personal comfort zone, the health benefits of walking will increase with the intensity of your physical activity.
Walking to increase endurance
Just like cycling, swimming or running, walking is an endurance sport, though with low intensity. During walking, your whole body moves, and depending on how much you put into it, walking will be gentle endurance training or take you to your physical limits.
The intensity can be adjusted to suit you. That’s why walking is excellent to improve your endurance literally step by step. If you’re currently not particularly fit for whatever reason, you should ideally start with short, level walks. You can then increase distance, duration and altitude gradually according to your needs. Walking speed is also a variable that lets you increase the intensity.
Those who feel sporty can try to find their limits on walks lasting several days, requiring a lot of equipment and/or on long distances with significant gradients or they can train for a really big trip.
In order to be rewarded with a feeling of achievement and prevent frustration, the motto for everyone should be: say yes to a challenge but no to excessive strain! As a general rule, you should choose your level of exertion so you can still chat to others while you’re walking. This way, walking stays healthy and safe.
Walking benefits: at what distances is walking good exercise?
The question at what distances walking is good for you depends on many different factors. It can be defined neither in hours nor miles. Key is your personal fitness and your state of health but the ambient temperature and weather also play an important role.
Even walkers without much practice can manage five to ten kilometres per day without getting too exhausted.
To plan a successful walk, you should choose a route that corresponds to your skill level and offers stimulating scenery. Your physical and mental well-being are the top priority. And for that, a shorter distance with great views is healthier than many miles through an uninteresting area. You can find information about the level of difficulty of various walks in the relevant apps and walking guide books.
Simply put: as long as you feel good when walking, you’re doing OK. It’s better to walk fewer miles along the flat or up and down but enjoy nature and the countryside and return with a positive experience than almost dropping dead in the evening.
Walking for mental health benefits
Walking in the countryside can help you to escape from constant communication, availability and hectic day-to-day life. All this causes stress and an increased release of stress hormones which can have various physical and mental consequences. Exercise is an effective way of reducing stress hormones so you can find some inner rest. During longer walks in particular, you will leave everyday troubles behind you with every step.
During a walk, you can simply let your thoughts go and mindfully feel your body and soul. Unfortunately, we’ve lost this sensation during everyday life. This intense awareness will improve your proprioception, the trust in your body and even increase your confidence. To ensure a particularly intense experience, less frequented paths away from the usual routes are best. It’ll be hard to find inner rest on asphalt surrounded by people.
Fresh air and exercise also result in natural tiredness in the evening, promoting healthy sleep. You can clear your mind, your body is exhausted and your stress level is reduced which is really beneficial for a peaceful night. And those who get their rest at night are recharged the next day, can perform again and are ready to tackle the challenges of the day.
Enjoy nature
Walking exclusively takes place outdoors. Therefore, it’s usually associated with an intense experience of nature. Fans of the countryside will really get their money’s worth. We can often draw on seeing attractive landscapes, beautiful views and breathtaking scenery for a long time. They’re a balm for the soul and you can remember them at any time during a stressful day.
Usually, we don’t go walking by ourselves but with friends, the family or in a group. The generally moderate tempo easily allows chatting and personal exchange. This supports social interaction and helps with face-to-face communication. Last but not least, shared experiences or a little adventure will bring you closer together. Existing friendships are strengthened or new relationships forged.
Thanks to the aspects above, walking has a positive effect on depression and helps combat a lack of motivation. There are now even psychotherapeutic concepts that integrate walking and mountaineering into treatment to make use of the walking benefits.
Walking to lose weight: is it effective?
You’ll burn calories because of the physical activity during walking, this much is sure. However, how many calories are burned on a walk depends on all sorts of factors and cannot be quantified in general.
Factors include your height and weight, as well as age and sex. Your walking speed and the terrain will also influence calorie consumption. Those who walk quickly and include some inclines as well will use more energy than someone who walks slowly on the flat. Last but not least, your calorie consumption will depend on the duration of the walk and your personal predisposition.
If you’d like to find out more about calorie consumption during different sports, have a look here.
Whether you can implement walking to lose weight also depends chiefly on what you consume during your journey and when you stop off somewhere to eat. If you want to lose weight, you have to take in fewer calories than you burn. This will cause a negative energy balance. But you must still make sure you follow a balanced diet and take in enough calories. After all, nothing is worse than hitting the wall because you’re starving and you still have many miles to go.
Tips on nutrition for walking can be found if you follow this link.
What you need for a successful walk
To ensure that your next walk will be a positive experience, you should bear certain things in mind.
Suitable equipment is key. This includes sturdy footwear, of course. Please visit our blog to find information about clothing, backpacks and emergency equipment.
It’s good to tell someone in advance about the route you’re planning to take if there is an emergency. This will give you confidence and help you to be found more quickly if something happens to you.
You should choose terrain and route based on your skill level and physical condition. It’s better to start small and increase gradually than getting stuck on a demanding trip without knowing what to do.
To avoid stress and fatigue, it’s best to plan enough time for your endeavour. Breaks are important and you should always make time to take a picture or enjoy the view.
You should keep your phone stashed away so you can really enjoy the countryside and only get it out in an emergency or to take pictures. Those who keep staring at their phones are distracted, which nullifies positive psychological effects and can even be dangerous, depending on the terrain.
Last but not least, when it comes to walking, a certain regularity will bring success. If you make it a regular activity, you will notice walking fitness benefits and you can increase your range. Your walks don’t have to last for many hours, just incorporate smaller trips into your everyday life. Even shorts walks can have a huge impact. You can also just take a journey on foot that you would usually use the car for.
People with health restrictions should consult a doctor before their first walk to consider potential risks.
A successful walk is pretty much guaranteed then.
Summary – Is walking good for you?
Walking has numerous benefits for health, this much is sure.
The great thing is: the positive effects on your health will come automatically while indulging in the beauty of nature. And with all this talk of the health benefits of walking, it’s primarily one thing: fun!
So pack your backpack and walk to a lovely place near you where you have always wanted to go!
