We hear that walking is good for the body, but it's hard to know what kind of health benefits it has. In this article, we'll explain the health benefits of walking and its relationship with diet.

The benefits of walking

First, I will introduce five benefits of walking. If you are considering starting walking, please refer to this article.


● Achieve the effect of a diet that burns fat

Walking helps you burn fat and lose weight.

Walking is an aerobic exercise that burns fat by moving the whole body. Aerobic exercise is a full-body exercise that takes in oxygen and converts fat and carbohydrates into energy.

Fat is burned by consuming more energy through exercise than you take in from food. Regular walking is a great way to burn fat without straining yourself.
For example, if a person weighing 60 kilograms walks for about 30 minutes, they will burn about 100 kilocalories.


● Has the effect of relieving fatigue

Walking helps relieve fatigue.

Walking improves the quality of your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation has published research showing that light exercise, including walking, improves the quality of your sleep more than vigorous exercise.

Walking is said to reduce the risk of depression, and is recommended for people who feel not only fatigue but also stress.


● It is also effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

Walking helps prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Lifestyle-related diseases are caused by lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise, and stress. The main examples include high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Walking is an exercise that improves blood flow and reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. American research has shown that people who walk regularly have a lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who do not. In a Japanese study, obese people who walked 3,000 more steps every day improved their blood pressure and weight data.

Ideally, you should walk for at least 150 minutes a week. If you don't have the time, here are some ways to incorporate walking into your daily life:


• Walking to work or school
• Take the stairs
• Take a short walk at lunchtime or after work.


● Helps to strengthen and maintain physical functions

Walking helps to strengthen and maintain physical function. If you make walking a habit, you can expect the following benefits:


• Improves metabolism
• Strengthen your heart and lungs
• Increase range of motion in joints

Continuing to walk will strengthen your cardiopulmonary function and have a positive effect on your physical function. There are also reports that the physical abilities of many residents at elderly care facilities that have introduced walking as a part of their daily routine have improved.


● Helps improve mental health

Walking is not only good for your physical health, but also your mental health.

If you make walking a habit, which provides moderate exercise, you can increase the hormone serotonin, which makes you feel positive, and reduce the hormone cortisol, which is closely related to stress. Serotonin is a hormone that is actively secreted when you do rhythmic exercise while exposed to sunlight.

Research has shown that people who walk for two hours every seven days are less likely to suffer from depression in the future.

Walking Tips

Many people think, "I want to start walking." However, simply walking will only be effective in half the time. In order to get the most out of your walking, it's important to remember the key points of walking.
From here on, I will explain the key points of walking.


- At an appropriate pace and distance

It is important to walk at a pace and distance that suits you, because physical strength and health conditions vary from person to person, and exercise at an intensity that does not suit you will not produce the benefits.

If you are a beginner and you are walking for the purpose of losing weight, fat will be burned within about 20 minutes of exercise. Plan your exercise based on a pace and distance that you can comfortably continue for more than 20 minutes. We recommend starting with a distance of about 3km for 30 minutes.

If you are an advanced runner or have become accustomed to the exercise, try increasing the load by walking faster or longer distances.

● Do it without overdoing it and make sure you stay hydrated.

When walking, don't push yourself too hard and drink plenty of water. Excessive exercise can not only put a strain on your body, but it can also cause you to lose motivation.

If a beginner tries to walk long distances all of a sudden, they will hurt their legs and back. Plan to start with short distances while keeping an eye on your physical condition.

Staying hydrated also helps prevent heatstroke and cerebral infarction. Drink water before you feel thirsty.


● Be aware of your posture and form

When walking, posture and form are important.
Proper posture improves energy efficiency and helps prevent injuries.


• Eyes look straight ahead
• Swing your arms widely
• Keep your back straight and your chest out.
• Don't put too much pressure on your shoulders.

It's also important to have walking shoes that fit you well. Check your form in the mirror or attend a walking class to be conscious of correct posture.


● Be aware of your stride length and speed

If you walk at a stride length and speed that suits you, you will find it easier to continue over a long period of time and you will be able to feel the benefits more clearly.

The faster you stride, the more calories you will burn, but striding too fast can put strain on your body and cause injury.

If you are a beginner, don't push yourself too hard at first, but increase your pace once you get used to it. Walk at a speed where you can still converse, and take larger steps than usual.


● Be aware of abdominal breathing

When walking, be sure to remember to breathe from your diaphragm.

Abdominal breathing is a breathing technique in which you inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Abdominal breathing allows you to take in more oxygen, which will improve your aerobic exercise performance.

In addition, abdominal breathing has the effect of balancing the autonomic nervous system. When you incorporate it into your walking, the parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominant, allowing you to exercise in a relaxed state.

What to prepare when walking

Below are some items that are good to bring with you when walking:


• Comfortable clothing
• Walking shoes
• Hats
• accessory case
• Hydration items
• Small change and smartphone

In summer, sunglasses and arm covers and towels made of cooling materials will help you to prevent heat stroke. In winter, gloves and scarves will make walking easier even in cold seasons.
Regardless of the season, if you plan on walking at night, it's a good idea to wear reflective materials and a buzzer to stay safe.

The relationship between walking and diet

From here, I will introduce three points about the relationship between walking and diet.


● The synergistic effects of walking and eating

Walking and eating are closely related. Combining walking with eating will be highly effective for dieting.

Dieting doesn't work with exercise or dietary restrictions alone. By combining the two effectively, you can lose weight efficiently. Increase your exercise by walking and be conscious of healthy eating habits.

Also, if you exercise before eating, your body will use fat as an energy source because your body lacks energy. However, if you exercise on an empty stomach, your exercise efficiency will decrease. It is recommended that you exercise after eating a light meal such as a banana or bread.


● Proper nutrition after walking

After walking, you need to replenish your energy to recover from fatigue and replenish the energy you have lost.
Here are some recommended nutrients to consume after exercise:


• Moisture
• protein
• carbohydrates

Eating the right nutrients will help prevent dehydration caused by sweating, while protein and carbohydrates will help repair muscles lost during exercise.
If you want to replenish your nutrients more efficiently, use protein supplements that contain protein and vitamins.


● Walking and Appetite Control

Walking is great for appetite control.

Walking suppresses the secretion of hormones that stimulate appetite and secretes hormones that suppress appetite, so you will naturally suppress your desire to eat.

If you tend to overeat, try incorporating walking into your daily routine to help control your appetite.

summary

The health benefits of walking are wide-ranging, including weight loss and the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Walking is closely related to diet, so you can get even better results by combining your diet with walking.
Please continue walking at a pace that suits you and with proper nutrition.

Article supervision

Professor Itsuki Nakayama
ALMOND CLINIC

Member of the Japanese Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. Graduated from Juntendo University.
After working at a university hospital and a municipal hospital, she gained experience in cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dermatology at a major beauty clinic.
Currently, he is the director of ALMOND CLINIC in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where he is involved in cosmetic medicine and regenerative medicine.
He also supervises many medical articles.

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