Walking is the easiest and one of the most effective ways to shed kilos, take care of your heart and also mind. It can help you lose weight sustainably with little risk of injuries and less impact on your joints, knees or muscles. According to studies, walking can improve blood pressure, slow down heart rate, reduce fat and body weight, cholesterol, and ease depression. While the many benefits of taking daily steps have been shows by several studies over the years, it is not clear how much to walk for a healthy life.
There are studies that suggest taking 10,000 steps can help improve cardiovascular health and reduce risk of both dementia and cancer. While achieving the target of walking 10,000 steps daily has become popular among fitness enthusiasts even fewer steps than that can confer many benefits. As many as 3,800 steps daily can reduce cognitive decline by 25%. According to yet another recent study, people who take 7,000 steps per day are at reduced risk of early death than those who take fewer steps each day. However, due to sedentary lifestyle, many people struggle to achieve even 5K or 7K.
Tips to walk more
– Set a reminder in your phone to take steps for just 5 minutes every 30 minutes.
– In a scenario where you cannot leave your desk or you are watching your favorite TV show or you are studying, you can do stationary walking.
– If you have a treadmill or cross-trainer, you can place it near your workstation where you can use it every 30 minutes.
