Walking Does A Body Good
Walking does more than improve muscle tone. Take a look at the whole-body benefits that walking provides:
HEAD/BRAIN: Improves mood: Increases mood-enhancing neurotransmitters and reduces the stress hormone cortisol, which helps you feel less anxious or sad. Walking also may decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, age-related dementia and stroke.
EYE: Wards off glaucoma: Reduces the pressure inside the eye, which lowers your chance of developing glaucoma.
CHEST: Lowers blood pressure: Makes your heart pump faster, which speeds blood flow and relaxes arteries, so blood pressure decreases – and so does risk of heart attack or stroke.
SPINE: Lessens back pain: Strengthens core muscles of back and abdomen, which reduces back pain.
HIP: Reduces hip fracture: As a weight-bearing exercise, walking helps strengthen muscles and bones, which wards off osteoporosis and reduces chance of fracture. Also helps shift pressure from joints to strong muscles, reducing arthritis pain.
KNEES: Keeps joints lubricated: Movement increases the production of synovial fluid, which keeps knees lubricated and decreases pain and stiffness.
LEG: Lowers risk of blood clots: Helps calf muscles squeeze deep veins and keep blood pumping freely back to the heart.
FOOT: Reduces load on joints: Helps lower or maintain body weight, reducing stress on feet, knees and hips.
ARM: Strengthens arm muscles: Pumping your arms as you walk tones muscles – and helps you walk faster, thus burning more calories.
NOSE: Makes you breathe better: Breathing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through bloodstream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve energy level and ability to heal.
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