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What are the benefits of brisk walking?

What are the benefits of brisk walking?

Brisk walking is a best way for people to increase their activity levels or ease themselves into a more active lifestyle. Unlike other forms of exercise, brisk walking has a lower risk of injury and is a low-cost activity.

When people take a brisk walk several times per week, they may experienceTrusted Source health benefits, such as a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In this article, we describe in more detail what brisk walking is. We also list the health benefits a person may experience when doing this form of exercise.

Brisk walking is an example of a moderate intensity aerobic activity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source define moderate intensity aerobic activity as anything that makes a person sweat and raises their heart rate to the extent that they can talk but not sing.

As a rule of thumb, for a person to be brisk walking, they need to move at a maximum speed of 4.5 mphTrusted Source. A person should aim to do a brisk walk every day for at least 30 minutes.

A person may experience plenty of health benefitsTrusted Source when brisk walking frequently or, generally, when increasing their activity levels.

These benefits include reducing the risk of heart disease, dibates, and some types of cancer, such as bladder, breast, and colon cancer.

A 2017 report also suggests that brisk walking can positively impact people’s health and is an accessible method for helping people increase their activity levels.

The authors of the report define brisk walking as walking at the speed of at least 3 mph.

They claim that people with existing health conditions may see more health benefits when walking briskly for 10 minutes every day.

They also claim that people who undertake less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week may see this form of exercise as more accessible.

To learn what positive effects walking can have on people’s health, researchers have examined the relationship between different walking paces and health outcomes.

A 2018 study pooled survey data from more than 50,000 English and Scottish walkers and investigated the effects of walking speed on people’s health.

The researchers concluded that there may be a link between walking at a self-reported average or brisk pace and a reduced risk of death from all causes or from cardiovascular disease compared with walking at a slow pace.

Brisk walking may benefit brain health too. A 2014 studyTrusted Source concluded that a twice-weekly 6-month outdoor brisk walking program increased hippocampus volume in older females who were likely to have mild cognitive impairment.

However, the researchers note that there is a need for more research to support these findings.

  • Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat.
  • Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood    pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
  • Improve muscle endurance.
  • Strengthen your bones and muscles.
  • Improve cardiovascular fitness.
    • Can brisk walking help, weight loss?

    According to a 2017 report,10 minutes of brisk walking a day could help inactive people reach a moderate weight. The report defines “inactive” as engaging in less than 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.

    However, brisk walking alone will not aid weight loss. If a person aims to lose weight, they also need to consider their daily dietary choices and calorie intake.

    To maintain a moderate weight, a person needsTrusted Source to balance the foods they eat with the amount of physical activity they undertake each day.

    If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.

    Best techniques for brisk walking

    Below are some tips for good walking form:

    • Start slowly in order to warm up and cool down by slowing down.
    • Keep the shoulders down and relaxed while maintaining a long, straight back.
    • Roll the foot forward from the heel.
    • Gradually start including hills into your walking routes.
    • Keep your head up, looking forward, not down.
    • Relax your neck, shoulders, and back, but don't slouch or lean forward.
    • Walk with a steady gait, rolling your foot from heel to toe.
    • Loosely swing your arms or pump your arms a little with each stride.

    If a person’s feet feel sore after a brisk walk, they may benefit from a foot massage or soaking their feet in warm water.

    The calories burned by brisk walking will vary depending on a person’s weight and other factors.

    For example, a person weighing 154 pounds will burn Trusted Sourcethe following number of calories per hour for each listed activity:

    Activity
    		Calories burned per hour.
    Walking (3.5 mph)280
    Walking (4.5 mph)460
    Running or jogging590
    Aerobics480
    Weightlifting (light workout)220
    Cycling (more than 10 mph)590
    Swimming (slow freestyle laps)510

    Brisk walking, running, jogging three are good for health and also helps you to lose weight. Every activity has another benefits. Doing moderate intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, for 30 minutes most days has many benefits, Source including reducing anxiety decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems and making falling asleep easier.

    Walking can provide a lot of the same benefits of running. but running burns nearly double the number of calories as walking.

    Jogging does burn more calories than a brisk walk, but it may not be attainable for people with overweight right away, as they might need to build up to an exercise routine.

    Brisk walking and other types of moderate aerobic exercise have many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Brisk walking is a low-cost and easy way for people to increase their physical activity levels.

    If a person wants to build up to a more vigorous aerobic activity, they can start with a brisk walk before they move on to jogging.

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