We were born with functioning legs for a reason, right? They help us get from one place to the next and transport our bodies, so we can tend to our daily activities. While walking is amongst the most popular physical activities, there are a few secrets about the exercise that will keep you moving one foot in front of the other.
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It adds years to your life. Researchers have found that walking has the potential to add two to seven years of your life if you do it regularly over the age of 40. The actual study that was conducted, assessed data from 650,000 people. The results showed that those who walked the recommended amount by the U.S. government (150 to 299 minutes a week) increased their life expectancy by 3.4 years, whereas those who walked briskly for 75 minutes a week, only increased their life expectancy by 1.8 additional years. Of all the participants, the highest increase in living years were attached to those who were already of a healthy weight and exercised according to the government’s recommendations.
Lower your chance of getting Alzheimer’s. According to researchers, our brain volume is a critical indicator of our brain health, which means that high brain volume relates to a healthy maintained brain with active cells. If you have low brain cells, that could be the result of dying cells. It was concluded that there is a direct correlation between high brain volume and exercise, and those Alzheimer patients who walk five miles a week had a slower decline. For healthy people, who showed no signs of cognitive decline, walking at least six miles a week produced the same results. There is no doubt that exercise helps the brain, and by walking regularly, the chemicals in the brains that affect brain cell health, are stimulated when you move your body. In addition, new blood vessels grow, which aids in the abundance and survival of the new brain cells.
Sleep better. Believe it or not, one third of the adult population, does not get enough sleep. If you tend to toss and turn into the wee hours of the night, then you might want to put on those walking shoes and hit the street or the treadmill three to four times a week. If you walk, you are more likely to have uninterrupted sleep, while also upping your chances of maintaining a healthy weight, which is another contributor to a good night’s sleep.
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