Walking is one of the most common forms of physical activity. It is something that everyone does in their day to day life. Walking is the best and effortless exercise for that studies show walking is just as effective as anti-depressants in mild to moderate cases of depression. Increasing the amount of daily walking has significant benefits for both short and long term.
Here are a few benefits that could kick in when you walk 10k or more steps daily:
- Body stores less fat: Studies have shown that individuals who perform any form of physical activity are less likely of storing the food consumed as fat, in comparison to individuals with a sedentary lifestyle.
- Good for heart heath: Walking daily has been shown to increase good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease bad cholesterol (LDL), thereby helping you maintain heart health.
- Balances Blood sugar levels: The person who gets 10,000 steps a day will have a much lower glucose and insulin response in their blood after a meal and hence less chances of diabetes later on in life.
- Other major benefits of walking include improved blood circulation, balanced hormone levels and anti-aging effects.
Final word:
Walking is a gentle low impact exercise that is easy and can be done by everyone. The best part is that it is free of cost.
Setting a goal is the first step towards achieving it. Setting up a benchmark of 10,000 steps can be a great way to increase your activity level and create a healthy lifestyle.
Remember the old Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”