Walking is generally distinguished from running in that only one foot at a time leaves contact with the ground and there is a period of double-support… In contrast, running begins when both feet are off the ground with each step.

Walking can offer numerous health benefits to people of all ages and fitness levels. It may also help prevent certain diseases and even prolong your life. 

Walking is free to do and easy to fit into your daily routine… All you need to start is a pair of walking shoes.

health benefits of walking

Researches show that walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by about 19%… And your risk may reduce even more when you increase the duration or distance you walk per day.

It may, also, reduce the risk of stroke by 20 – 40% according to other researches, as well as the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Moreover, walking can help protect the joints, including your knees and hips… That’s because it helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that support the joints. 

It may also help prevent arthritis, or help reduce the pain of people living with it.

Walking may boost your immune system and reduce the risk for developing a cold or the flu… Also, if you do get sick, it will be with less the symptoms.

Your digestion will, also, improve by walking more… That is because a regular walking routine can greatly improve your bowel movements.

While the physical benefits are notable, the mental boost of adding a walk to your daily routine may be more immediate.

One Stanford University study found that walking increased creativity by an average of 60%.

The act of walking is also a proven mood and self-confidence booster… It actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility.

Also, walking in nature reduces ruminating over negative experiences, which lowers risk of depression.

Finally, when you make your walks social you get an increased feeling of social connection.

walking as a form of exercise

Walking every day is one of the most effective low-impact ways to burn fat and positively alter body composition.

It is, also, one of the few safe activities now that the word is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside with Calisthenics.

It increases metabolism by burning extra calories and by preventing muscle loss.

In the table bellow, you can see a comparison of calories burned from 3 people with different weights, participating in various activities for 30 minutes :

Calories burned in 30-minute activities
Activities	57 kg (125 pounds) person	70 kg (155 pounds) person	84 kg (185 pounds) person
Calisthenics: moderate	135	167	200
Weight Lifting: general	90	112	133
Stretching, Hatha Yoga	120	149	178
Walking: 5 km/h (3.5 mph)	120	149	178
Running: 8 km/h (5 mph)	240	298	355
Aerobics: low impact	165	205	244
Stair Step Machine: general	180	223	266

We notice that 30 minutes of walking burns more calories than if the same time was spent weight lifting (moderately) and same calories as a 30 minutes yoga session.

Conclusively, this moderate activity consists one of the most easy and practical ways to increase the calories you burn throughout the day.

recover from training by walking

Walking can be used as an active recovery following a strenuous Calisthenics workout.

Active recovery is often considered more beneficial than inactivity, resting completely, or sitting.

It can keep blood flowing and help muscles recover and rebuild from intense physical activity… It can, also, reduce inflammation and lactic acid buildup in muscles, keeping them less sore and more flexible.

Moreover, walking helps you de-stress and sleep better at night, a really important factor for recovery.

walking without purpose

In our increasingly busy and stressful everyday life, where we are always running out of time, taking a casual stroll down the park has become a luxury.

Nowadays there’s hardly a situation where we’re walking without purpose, or where we’re not in a rush. We’ve become obsessed with goals, a mindset that has trickled down to every corner of our lives. We have to know where we’re going.

There’s a subtle wonder to walking without a pre-planned destination.

Walking without purpose may help clear your head and feel more creative.

Philosophers and thinkers have used walking as a way to explore new ideas and as a form of meditation to give themselves a refreshing break. 

To exploit these benefits you need to walk mindfully, alone, without fixed route and without using technology for communication or music.

Walking culture in japan

Japanese are among the healthiest people in the world with a remarkable Obesity Rate of 3,6%. (USA rate is 30%…)

The explanation is simple… They walk.

Most of Japanese adults reveal that they don’t have enough time or they don’t really enjoy working out.

So they use walking as a workout regime.

Japanese adults walk an average of 6500 steps a day, with male adults in their 20s to 50s walking nearly 8000 steps a day on average and women about 7000 steps.

Walking is part of their culture… Most Japanese citizens live in very walkable cities. They rarely own cars and use public transportation for their everyday activities.

Did you know the concept of walking ‘10.000 steps a day’ originated in Japan?

from 10.000 steps to a 30 min walk

It is suggested to challenge yourself to get at least 10.000 steps a day.

10.000 steps equates to about 8 kilometres, or 1 hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.

But that doesn’t mean you have to do it all in one walk…

You will naturally accumulate steps through your day-to-day activities, but to reach the 10.000-step goal, you will likely need to do a 30-minute walk as well.

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So being healthy and lean just by walking 30 minutes a day..?

This is truly amazing!

Imagine the benefits of combining that with an activity like Calisthenics…!