Diabetes: Why should you walk?
Most people hardly have time for physical activities. Walking is an easy and accessible exercise to improve the overall body’s wellness. Sedentary lifestyles increase all causes of mortality, increase the risk of diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, arthritis of knees, mental health problems, cancers and obesity.
Walking is convenient and easier to incorporate into daily routines through habitual changes. One can regulate the intensity, duration, and frequency of walking on their own.
Walking is a low-impact exercise with a multitude of health benefits and enhanced metabolism. On average, 30 minutes of brisk walking can burn about 150 calories.
Walking can significantly improve the flexibility and motility of joints, walking helps relax the strained muscles, improves mood, provides relief by reducing stress, and strengthens thighs and calves muscles. Walking increases the heart rate and improves blood flow in the body. It doesn’t require costly equipment or special training and is simply an accessible way to stay active.
Taking up walking challenges and hitting a certain number of steps has made walking a perfect way of staying active. Walking lowers blood pressure by improving circulation in the body. It can increase energy levels by releasing hormones such as endorphins, often called the feel-good hormones.
Endorphins are chemicals that are released by walking. They can help reduce stress, improve sleep, memory, and cognitive skills while you feel relaxed. It’s also a convenient way of weight management. It increases the non-exercise activity thermogenesis that helps burn extra calories and regulates weight management.
IDEA Clinics recommendations for physical activity to maintain health and promotes weight loss are:
1) 150 minutes/ week: For maintaining and improving health:
2) 250 minutes/ week: Prevention of weight gain
3) 300 minutes/ week: Promotes weight loss.
Health Benefits of Walking
Physical Health
Sedentary lifestyle is when one walks less than 5000 steps/ day whereas steps more than 10,000 show an active lifestyle. In other words, brisk walking an hour a day helps improve health and can be the most accessible physical activity preferred for preventing and treating obesity.
Knee osteoarthritis and walking: It is a well circulated myth that those with joint pains should not walk. Paradoxically daily walking can prevent the risk of functional limitation in knee arthritis and protects against the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.
Heart Health
Walking regularly is critical for prevention of heart attacks, strokes, control of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol.
Mental Health
Walking improves energy levels by stimulating the production of endorphins, the happy hormones which help to reduce stress and help relax.
Sleep Health
Regular walking helps in improving sleep quality and duration, and brain function. Walking helps reduce stress-related symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, dementia, fatigue, and lack of motivation.
Obesity: Why should you walk?
Walking is an excellent physical activity to manage weight.
Q. Why am I struggling to lose weight?
A. Obesity or being overweight is seen in over half of the population. Obesity is a disease due to various genetic and lifestyle factors. It is wrong to equate obesity with laziness. Weight regulation is a complex mechanism influenced by genetics, hormones and other social, cultural and lifestyle factors.
Q. Why am I not able to control my hunger?
A. Hunger and satiety (satisfaction or fullness after eating) are complex mechanisms which are under the influence of hormones. For example, Ghrelin is a gut hormone released from the stomach that influences our hunger levels. While GLP-1 is another significant hormone that controls satiety. This is the reason some are full after one serving while others cannot be satisfied after multiple servings.
Q. Can mental health influence weight?
A. Mental health problems whether depression, anxiety or stress can affect weight. Food is a comfort, the very reason we eat when we are bored, watch TV, during festivals or while meeting friends or when at the cinema or shopping mall.
Q. Can I lose weight by walking 30 minutes every day?
A. Yes, it is possible to lose weight by walking 30 minutes daily. Walking helps to lose weight and burn extra calories if performed consistently. One can burn 1000 calories per week by at least walking five days a week. Brisk walking for 30 minutes helps to burn up to 200 calories. The number of calories you burn by walking depends on several factors such as metabolism, weight and speed of walking.
Q. Can I lose weight just by walking?
A. While walking has a wide range of benefits, and brings in sustained weight and health benefits, on its own without a low calorie healthy diet may not bring in satisfactory weight loss. However, incorporating a healthy and balanced diet with a walking routine helps reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disorders.
Q. How much walking is needed to lose weight?
A. Walking 10,000 steps per day or brisk walking for an hour helps lose weight. Brisk walking for about 45 minutes along with a low calorie diet helps lose weight effectively. Walking is a form of low-impact, moderate-intensity physical activity. 10000 steps per day, equivalent to 8 kilometers, is considered a reasonable distance to walk daily.
Q. Can I control hunger by drinking water?
A. Yes, drinking water before meals helps suppress appetite. Drinking water while having a craving for food helps reduce excess calorie consumption. Water improves metabolism and increases the basal metabolic rate of an individual.
Q. Is it better to walk in the morning or evenings?
A. Walking in the morning or at night both have their benefits. Walking in the morning helps improve breathing and protects the heart and lungs. Morning walks help in burning more calories which helps in weight loss. It helps reduce stress, clear away negative thoughts and improve productivity during the day. While walks at night help to control blood sugar levels and aid digestion. It is an excellent way to relieve stress after a long day and improves sleep quality.
Q. How long does it take to see results from walking?
A. On average, it takes eight weeks to see significant results from walking. The outcome of walking depends on how fast the pace is, the distance, and the weight of an individual. People with a sedentary lifestyle will see the results more quickly because they burn more calories. While walking has several benefits, it is essential to maintain a healthy diet along with 30-45 minutes of brisk walking to notice the positive changes in the body.
Q. How to maintain motivation to walk consistently?
A. Make simple changes in daily movement patterns, such as taking stairs instead of lifts and walking to lunch, school, and work. Take short walking breaks at work to keep the body moving and prevent joint pain. Always stay hydrated. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily. Water reduces food cravings and suppresses appetite which in turn helps in losing weight. Avoid sugary drinks.
Obesity: Why should you walk?
Walking is an excellent physical activity to manage weight.
Q. Why am I struggling to lose weight?
A. Obesity or being overweight is seen in over half of the population. Obesity is a disease due to various genetic and lifestyle factors. It is wrong to equate obesity with laziness. Weight regulation is a complex mechanism influenced by genetics, hormones and other social, cultural and lifestyle factors.
Q. Why am I not able to control my hunger?
A. Hunger and satiety (satisfaction or fullness after eating) are complex mechanisms which are under the influence of hormones. For example, Ghrelin is a gut hormone released from the stomach that influences our hunger levels. While GLP-1 is another significant hormone that controls satiety. This is the reason some are full after one serving while others cannot be satisfied after multiple servings.
Q. Can mental health influence weight?
A. Mental health problems whether depression, anxiety or stress can affect weight. Food is a comfort, the very reason we eat when we are bored, watch TV, during festivals or while meeting friends or when at the cinema or shopping mall.
Q. Can I lose weight by walking 30 minutes every day?
A. Yes, it is possible to lose weight by walking 30 minutes daily. Walking helps to lose weight and burn extra calories if performed consistently. One can burn 1000 calories per week by at least walking five days a week. Brisk walking for 30 minutes helps to burn up to 200 calories. The number of calories you burn by walking depends on several factors such as metabolism, weight and speed of walking.
Q. Can I lose weight just by walking?
A. While walking has a wide range of benefits, and brings in sustained weight and health benefits, on its own without a low calorie healthy diet may not bring in satisfactory weight loss. However, incorporating a healthy and balanced diet with a walking routine helps reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disorders.
Q. How much walking is needed to lose weight?
A. Walking 10,000 steps per day or brisk walking for an hour helps lose weight. Brisk walking for about 45 minutes along with a low calorie diet helps lose weight effectively. Walking is a form of low-impact, moderate-intensity physical activity. 10000 steps per day, equivalent to 8 kilometers, is considered a reasonable distance to walk daily.
Q. Can I control hunger by drinking water?
A. Yes, drinking water before meals helps suppress appetite. Drinking water while having a craving for food helps reduce excess calorie consumption. Water improves metabolism and increases the basal metabolic rate of an individual.
Q. Is it better to walk in the morning or evenings?
A. Walking in the morning or at night both have their benefits. Walking in the morning helps improve breathing and protects the heart and lungs. Morning walks help in burning more calories which helps in weight loss. It helps reduce stress, clear away negative thoughts and improve productivity during the day. While walks at night help to control blood sugar levels and aid digestion. It is an excellent way to relieve stress after a long day and improves sleep quality.
Q. How long does it take to see results from walking?
A. On average, it takes eight weeks to see significant results from walking. The outcome of walking depends on how fast the pace is, the distance, and the weight of an individual. People with a sedentary lifestyle will see the results more quickly because they burn more calories. While walking has several benefits, it is essential to maintain a healthy diet along with 30-45 minutes of brisk walking to notice the positive changes in the body.
Q. How to maintain motivation to walk consistently?
A. Make simple changes in daily movement patterns, such as taking stairs instead of lifts and walking to lunch, school, and work. Take short walking breaks at work to keep the body moving and prevent joint pain. Always stay hydrated. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily. Water reduces food cravings and suppresses appetite which in turn helps in losing weight. Avoid sugary drinks.
