What are the health benefits of walking 30 minutes a day?

1. The benefits of walking

According to the American Heart Association, everyone should participate in moderate exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Maintaining a regular walking habit helps improve both physical and mental health.

Some of the benefits include:

- Process supportlosing weight:For overweight and obese people, walking is also a great form of exercise to support weight loss and reduce body fat. Every day, you walk 30 minutes for 6 consecutive months, you can lose 5 to 10% of your body weight. To increase the effectiveness of weight loss, you need to combine a suitable diet, you can combine walking with other forms of exercise to increase calorie burning.

- Strengthen bone health:Walking can help maintain bone health and potentially reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It also improves core strength, stability, and balance to help prevent falls as you age.

-Improve mood:One study found that young people who took a 10-minute walk reported significantly improved moods compared to a group that stayed sedentary.

Getting up and moving helps you get rid of feelings of fatigue and lack of energy, which can contribute to overall feelings of depression. Previous studies have also shown that even a 5-minute walk can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

- Promote cardiovascular health:Walking regularly will help the heart work better, especially reducing cholesterol levels.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. Walking every day can help reduce total cholesterol by 10%, reducing the risk of heart disease by up to 30%. Not only that, people who walk regularly for 30 minutes a day, continuously for 4 months, also recorded a significant reduction in blood pressure.

-Increase resistanceagainst pathogens:Research has shown that people who walk regularly have fewer flu episodes than those who do not exercise. In addition, if they do get the flu, symptoms in those who exercise are milder and recover more quickly.

2. What should I keep in mind when walking?

To maintain a walking habit, you should arrange your time and plan it at a fixed time of the day. If it is too difficult to walk for 30 minutes at once, do small, regular periods (10 minutes), 3 times a day and gradually increase to longer periods.

Before starting to exercise, you need to do some movements to warm up your body and stretch your muscles for about 5 - 10 minutes.

When walking, keep your head straight, facing forward, your back straight, and your arms moving freely with your strides. You should start walking slowly and then gradually increase the speed that you feel comfortable with. Walking time will vary from beginners to those who have practiced for a long time and depends on each person's physical strength. In particular, you must maintain a regular, consistent exercise routine to bring the best health benefits.

Choose appropriate clothing when walking. Avoid wearing too many layers, which can increase sweating and raise your body temperature, making you uncomfortable during exercise. Make sure your shoes are comfortable and have proper heel and arch support. Take light, easy steps and make sure your heels land before your toes.

For the elderly and people with bone and joint diseases, it is necessary to consult a doctor before exercising to avoid possible negative effects on health.