15 Benefits of Walking (Plus Precautions)

Benefits of walking include reduced swelling, prevention of cardiovascular disease, lower levels of stress and anxiety, and weight loss.

Walking is accessible to people of all ages and can be done on the treadmill or outside. Walking regularly and maintaining a healthy diet can help you get the most benefits from walking. 

Before starting a walking program, it is recommended to consult your primary care provider or a cardiologist to evaluate your overall health and identify any heart conditions. This is especially important for older adults, pregnant people, and people with overweight or obesity.

Health benefits

The main benefits of walking are:

1.  Supporting weight loss and weight maintenance

When in motion, the body burns more calories, using its fat stores to produce more energy. This can help support weight maintenance and promote weight loss.

Calorie burning depends on the frequency and speed that you are walking, as well as your individual metabolism. Some tips for walking for weight loss or weight maintenance include: 

• Keeping your ab muscles tight to maintain correct posture;
• Walking fast, to the point that you are breathing more rapidly and are unable to keep up a conversation;
• Swinging your arms while you walk to improve circulation.

Walking can burn up to 400 calories in an hour. Daily walking can therefore contribute to weight loss and loss of belly fat.

Check out does walking help you lose weight.

2. Reducing swelling

Walking helps reduce swelling in the legs and ankles because it improves blood and lymphatic circulation and decreases fluid retention. 

To help reduce swelling, it is important to drink an adequate amount of fluids during the day, maintain a healthy diet, and take regular walks for at least 30 minutes.

Walking is also recommended during pregnancy to treat swollen feet, help with relaxation, control weight gain, and decrease the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Talk to your OBGYN or midwife to make sure you are cleared to exercise.

3. Preventing cardiovascular disease

A regular walking routine helps prevent and control certain conditions, primarily cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and hypertension that can lead to stroke or heart attack.

This is because walking helps maintain healthy veins and arteries, lowering the risk for plaque buildup in the blood vessels.

In addition to walking, healthy eating habits are also important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. This includes avoiding the excess consumption of foods high in sugar and fat.  

Read about how to stop sugar cravings.

4. Protecting against osteoporosis

Walking is effective in the prevention and management of osteoporosis because it helps strengthen the bones and joints and increase bone density, preventing wear and tear over time.

This benefit is especially important in postmenopausal women to help reduce the risk of injuries, breaks, and fractures related to weakening of the bones.

5. Improving cardiorespiratory fitness

Walking also enhances cardiorespiratory fitness by increasing heart rate and improving blood flow, in addition to working out the lungs to improve gas exchange.

6. Strengthening the muscles

With regular exercise, the muscles begin to absorb more oxygen, increasing their efficiency.

Walking is an aerobic exercise that requires muscle groups to work together, which also helps to strengthen the muscles.

Learn more about how to build muscle.

7. Improving posture

Walking is an activity that involves the use of several muscle groups and joints. A regular walking routine can help relieve muscle aches and joint pain and improve posture.

8. Promoting relaxation

Walking promotes relaxation through the release of endorphins, which are hormones responsible for a sense of well-being. 

These hormones act directly on nerve cells to help improve mental health by reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Walking can also help relieve tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders due to stress.

9. Improving memory

It is believed that regular exercise also improves memory, as physical activity stimulates greater blood flow to the brain, which promotes the production of catecholamines during exercise.

Daily walks at a moderate pace for around 30 minutes are needed in order to receive this benefit.

10. Helping control blood sugar

Walking can also help control blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity, which helps lower blood sugar levels.

In addition, walking helps reduce excess fat around the middle that is associated with increased insulin resistance, which increases blood sugar levels as well as the risk for developing diabetes.

A walking program to help lower blood sugar and prevent or manage diabetes should ideally involve regular daily walks lasting at least 30 minutes.

11. Combating anxiety and depression

Walking can also help manage symptoms of anxiety and depression by increasing the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, noradrenalin, and dopamine, which help regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and memory.

In addition, walking helps improve sleep quality, allowing you to fall asleep faster and have deeper, more restful sleep.

This benefit is especially important for people with anxiety and depression, who often have difficulty sleeping. 

12. Promoting a sense of well-being

Walking promotes a sense of physical and mental well-being and increases feelings of pleasure by releasing endorphins that have an analgesic effect on the body.

In addition, walking helps promote relaxation and boost mood, self-confidence, and self-esteem that result in a better quality of life and an improved sense of well-being.

13. Strengthening the immune system

Walking stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory substances in the body, in addition to preventing oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which can compromise the function of the immune system.

In this way, regular walking helps strengthen the immune system and enhance the body's ability to fight infections.

14. Improving balance and coordination

Walking improves blood flow to the muscles and the brain, in addition to strengthening the muscles of the legs, resulting in improved balance and motor coordination.

This is especially important for older adults, as balance and coordination problems are more common as we age.

15. Enhancing performance

The endorphins released while walking help boost performance and reduce fatigue.

Improved performance is also related to muscle relaxation, improved quality of sleep, and an increased sense of well-being, all of which are promoted by walking.

Walking also increases blood flow and oxygenation of the tissues of the body, which helps increase your energy and readiness to complete everyday tasks.

Fasted cardio

The practice of working out on an empty stomach, also known as fasted cardio, may help with weight loss by forcing the body to use its fat stores for energy. This can help promote fat burning and calorie expenditure.

Fasted cardio is not recommended for everyone, especially those who are just beginning to exercise, as it can result in dizziness, nausea, and fainting due to low blood sugar.

It is important to work with a qualified exercise specialist and a registered dietitian to develop safe strategies for engaging in fasted cardio, including recommended duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise as well as the best foods to eat afterward.

Important precautions

To prevent injury, some important precautions to take while walking include:

• Wearing comfortable shoes and lightweight clothing;
• Drinking 8 oz (250 mL) of water per hour while walking;
• Applying sunscreen and using sunglasses and a hat for sun protection;
• Avoiding the hottest times of day (between 11 AM and 4 PM) and very busy streets;
• Stretching before and after walking to get the blood flowing and prevent cramps.

These precautions can help prevent health problems like injury, dehydration, heat stroke, and sunburn.