Many people have heard that to be healthy you need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. We'll tell you why walking every day is beneficial, whether you need to walk exactly that much, and whether it will help you lose weight.
- What happens if you walk every day
- If you walk every day, can you lose weight
- How to start walking 10,000 steps
- Possible harm from walking
- Contraindications for walking
Walking is the easiest and most accessible form of physical activity for any person. Many people have heard that it is necessary to walk at least 10,000 steps daily to improve health and lose weight. In fact, there is no evidence that every person needs to walk that much. This figure was first calculated in 1965: the Institute of Health in Japan calculated that overweight Japanese people lead a sedentary lifestyle. They walked on average from three to five thousand steps per day. By increasing mobility to ten thousand steps, it was possible to create a calorie deficit necessary for weight loss. The figure became established as a marketing ploy for the use of pedometers, and supporters of a healthy lifestyle around the world began to adhere to it.
A 2019 study examined the effect of physical activity on mortality rates in older adults with a mean age of 72 years. The experiment revealed that women who walked less than 2,700 steps a day were 41% more likely to die than those who walked more than 4,400 steps. The more steps the participants in the experiment took, the lower the mortality rate was, until they reached the figure of 7,500 steps. A further increase in activity no longer affected the reduction in mortality and health status. In any case, daily walking has a positive effect on health and strengthens the heart and blood vessels. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of walking every day and how it will help improve your body's health.
Don't miss
- Don't miss Running or walking: which is healthier according to doctors
What will happen if you walk every day
Strengthening the heart and blood vessels
Walking at a fast pace is the most beneficial form of exercise for the cardiovascular system. When a person walks actively, blood circulation improves and the heart muscle works with the correct load. This type of activity can reduce the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases by 20-40%, including stroke, so walking has great benefits for the heart. With regular exercise, the body rebuilds and adapts to new loads; over time, the heart rate becomes lower, blood pressure drops, and it becomes easier to breathe. “Bad” cholesterol in the blood gradually decreases and blood clotting increases. Walking is better for the heart than running, because during running your heart rate increases and your heart works harder.
Walking also helps in the prevention of varicose veins. When a person walks, the muscles of the lower legs contract. They act on the veins and push the blood upward. Thanks to this, blood does not stagnate and accumulate in the veins. For a positive effect, you need to walk at least half an hour a day.
Strengthening muscles
Although this exercise is low-intensity, it is effective for strengthening many muscles, and is beneficial not only for the legs. When walking, up to 200 muscles in the human body work. The muscles that are most trained are the core, abs, gluteal muscles, back muscles, diaphragm, shoulders and neck, calf muscles and back of the thigh. There is no significant increase in muscle mass when walking. But this sport helps activate slower muscle fibers and helps strengthen the muscle frame. In order to increase muscle mass, you can alternate walking with lunges or squats at regular intervals.
Strengthening bones
During physical activity, calcium is better absorbed into the bones, which increases bone density. In addition, when muscles contract, they put pressure on the bones and help strengthen the skeleton. Even while walking, the muscles of the musculoskeletal system are strengthened, including those responsible for balance. This reduces the likelihood that a person can fall and break a bone.
Don't miss
- Don't miss Why bones hurt: 8 reasons that do not depend on age
Improving mood
When a person exercises, the body uses up cortisol and adrenaline faster – these are hormones that are produced in response to stress. Active movement produces hormones that improve mood and increase brain activity. For a positive effect, you need to walk for at least half an hour.
- Dopamineis a pleasure hormone, produced during any physical activity. He is responsible for motivation and the desire to achieve results. Thanks to it, a person continues to train in order to see positive changes in health and figure over time.
- Endorphin– a hormone of happiness and good mood, gives lightness and pleasure. It helps you maintain a positive attitude, find a solution to a problem, and believe in yourself. In addition, it has an analgesic effect on the muscles after exercise.
- Oxytocin– helps to resist stress, restores muscle tissue after exercise, reduces anxiety and helps prolong life.
Raising energy
During low-intensity physical activity, cells are enriched with oxygen and actively convert glucose into ATP molecules. They are the source of energy for all cells in the body. If you exercise regularly, the number of energy centers in the muscles increases. Strength training and activities with high activity are less effective: when walking, 36 ATP molecules are synthesized from one glucose molecule, and with high-intensity and strength training, only 2. For best results, it is recommended to alternate strength and cardio exercises.
Prevention of chronic diseases
Walking regularly can help reduce your risk of developing diseases. Walking improves blood circulation, which lowers blood pressure and reduces the likelihood of developing hypertension. If you walk 10,000 steps every day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is reduced, since glucose is actively broken down during exercise, and the level of “bad” cholesterol is reduced due to better blood circulation. Walking also helps reduce the likelihood of developing cancer by 40%. Therefore, if you are wondering what walking every day will do, then this type of activity will help in the prevention of many diseases.
Strengthening the immune system
To strengthen the body's defenses, low-intensity activities, including walking, are useful. With such training, the production of immune cells that protect the body from viruses and microbes increases. Also, training will help restore the balance between different elements of the immune system. This promotes faster healing of inflammatory processes and reduces allergic reactions. In addition, with improved blood circulation, all tissues of the body receive more nutrients and oxygen necessary for life, as a result they work better and this helps in the prevention of premature aging.
Don't miss
- Don't miss How to boost your immunity (and why wearing a hat has nothing to do with it)
Improving metabolism
While walking, your metabolism speeds up. This happens because enzymes work more actively, and the cells in the body are better saturated with oxygen. With regular training, the basic energy metabolism in the body increases, vital energy balance improves, and you gain more strength. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to experience loss of energy than those who include walking in their daily routine. In addition, protein is needed to strengthen muscles, and protein synthesis requires energy. This leads to an increase in energy levels in the body.
Improved digestion
To ensure that walking brings maximum benefits to the digestive system, it is better to go for a walk 30 minutes after eating. In this case, walking will help reduce blood sugar levels, converting it into energy for movement. In addition, when walking, intestinal function improves and food moves better through the digestive tract. During the walk, the abdominal muscles receive a gentle massage, which helps prevent constipation and stimulates proper bowel function.
Improving physical fitness
With regular walking, the body's endurance increases and appearance improves by strengthening muscles. The muscles of the legs, arms and abdomen become toned, the spine is strengthened and the posture is aligned. If you walk regularly, it will help burn extra calories and better control your weight, helps in preventing obesity.
If you walk every day, can you lose weight
To lose excess weight, you need to spend more calories than the body receives from food. But each person’s caloric intake is different—women have a lower daily ration than men. The amount of excess weight is also different for everyone – some need to lose a couple of kilograms, and others more than 10. Therefore, the number of calories that need to be burned during sports and physical activity will also be different. When walking, a person spends on average 4 kcal for every 100 steps, that is, if you walk 10,000 steps daily, you will spend about 400 kcal.
It is also important to consider how many calories a person gets from food and the quality of food: fast carbohydrates, fatty and sweet foods contribute to excess weight gain more than foods rich in fiber. To lose weight, the daily calorie intake is reduced by 10%. If the caloric content of the diet is low, then burning an additional 300-400 kcal can help you lose weight. For a person leading a sedentary lifestyle, starting to walk regularly is already a good way to increase your activity.
Don't miss
- Don't miss Which is better: running or walking for weight loss and health
How to start walking 10,000 steps
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, walking such a distance out of habit can be a difficult task, and motivation disappears because of this. To gradually accustom your body to training, you can start with 2-3 thousand steps a day – anyone can walk such a distance. For example, you can walk a couple of stops, or take a walk in the park. Gradually increase the distance, adding 500-1000 steps. The body will get used to the load, and walking 10,000 steps will become a feasible task. It is important to dress appropriately for the weather and choose comfortable shoes without heels to make you feel comfortable.
Possible harm from walking
Despite the great benefits of walking, this activity can also be harmful if the load on the musculoskeletal system is not distributed correctly. For example, if the leg falls to the side, the knee joints, hip area and spine may be affected. The joints are positioned at the wrong angle and there is a lot of stress on their surface. This can lead to wear and tear of the joint and the appearance of arthritis. If you place your foot incorrectly when walking, long walks can harm the musculoskeletal system.
When resting on the inside of the foot, the knee falls inward. Because of this, posture changes, the spine is bent, and the lower back receives unnecessary stress. The joints of the lower leg and foot experience a lot of stress. If a person rests more on the outer side of the foot, this is called clubfoot. In this case, the joints of the legs and lower back receive greater load. Most often, incorrect foot placement occurs in people with flat feet, then the load is incorrectly distributed on the foot.
Improper foot support when walking increases the risk of injury. This can lead to damage to the tendons at the heel, sprained ligaments, and damage to the shin bones. Flat feet can also lead to the appearance of heel spurs or the growth of a bone. Also, due to improper load, there may be pain and heaviness in the legs. Therefore, it is important to ensure the correct placement of the foot when walking, rest on the entire foot and step from heel to toe. For comfortable walking, it is recommended to use orthopedic insoles to reduce the load. Shoes with heels higher than 4 cm are not suitable for walking for a long time, as are shoes with flat soles.
Contraindications for walking
- viral diseases
- flat feet
- recent operations
- diseases of the cardiovascular system
- stage of exacerbation of chronic diseases
- high blood pressure
< li>diseases of the musculoskeletal system
In such cases, it is recommended to consult a doctor to determine whether it is possible to walk at least short distances at a calm pace.
Sources and literature:
1) Daf Ni S. D. Healthy walking – M.: Samizdat, 2020.
2) Zhulidov M. Running and walking instead of medications – M.: Publishing house in AST, 2011.
3) Kagge E. Walk. The simplest source of joy and meaning – M.: MIF Publishing House, 2019.
4) Kibardin G. Fast walking heals – M.: Eksmo Publishing House, 2019.
5) Milner E. Walking instead of medicine – M.: AST Publishing House, 2018.