Without giving our gait much thought, we all fasten our shoelaces and go for a stroll. Beyond the well-established advantages of exercise, however, recent studies suggest that your gait may have some unexpectedly significant health impacts. Your walk may hold the secret to a host of unanticipated health advantages, ranging from boosting cognitive function to developing specific muscles.
The Foundation: Advantages of Walking Daily
We all tie our shoelaces and take a walk without really thinking about how we walk. However, new research indicates that your gait may have some surprisingly important health effects in addition to the well-known benefits of exercise. From improving cognitive function to building particular muscles, your walk could be the key to some unexpected health benefits.
Step It Up the Intensity: The Benefits of Brisk and Power Walking
For those who want to step up the health benefits, taking your step can pay off. Brisk walking, usually described as walking at over 100 steps per minute or approximately 3 to 4 miles per hour, has been associated with greater heart health and longevity. Studies have shown that converting a leisurely 14-minute walk to a brisk 7-minute walk may cut your risk of heart disease by 14%. In the long run, walking briskly may even result in your biological age being up to 16 years younger than that of those who walk slowly. Simply incorporating a brief, 10-minute brisk walk into daily life has been estimated to enhance life expectancy. Interestingly enough, the pace of your gait may be a better predictor of your likelihood of dying of heart disease than the usual suspects, such as blood pressure and cholesterol.
One step further is power walking, which is usually at an average of 4 to 5.5 miles per hour. This more intense type of walking provides similar benefits to jogging, including a heightened heart rate and calories burned, but with decreased joint impact. Power walking has been found to decrease the risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. It can also lead to bone strength and greatly reduce the risk of hip fractures. In addition, it will tone muscles in your glutes, calves, core, arms, shoulders, and back. In addition to the physical benefits, power walking will also benefit your mental state in terms of decreased anxiety and depression, and cognitive function improvement, as well as sleep quality.
Hiring More Muscles: The Nordic Walking Method
For a total workout that utilizes both upper and lower body muscles, try Nordic walking. This technique consists of using specially adapted poles to push yourself along actively, working your arms, shoulders, and core as well as your legs. Research has established that Nordic walking is more efficient than fast walking without poles in heart rate, oxygen uptake, and exercise capacity. It has also proved to be advantageous for individuals with other conditions, such as reducing resting heart rate, blood pressure, and exercise tolerance. In addition, Nordic walking may reduce pain and tiredness in individuals with chronic illnesses such as back pain and fibromyalgia. It can also enhance upper-body strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility, which makes it most suitable for older adults.
The Unexpected Twist: Health Gains from Backward Walking
In an unexpected finding, studies have uncovered distinct advantages to walking backward, or retro walking. This opposite direction of walking activates muscles differently than forward movement, including your hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Backward walking studies estimate that it strengthens back muscles and increases hamstring flexibility. It can also aid in the strengthening of ankles and enhancing balance, posture, and coordination. For lower back pain sufferers, walking backwards may provide relief and can be easier on the knee and hip joints. Surprisingly, it is connected to heightened activity in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain related to problem-solving and decision-making. Physiologically, it is more strenuous than forward walking, burning more calories. Backward walking has also been found to enhance gait, walking pace, and balance, particularly in recovery from an injury.
Finding Your Inner Peace: The Benefits of Mindful Walking
Turn your ordinary walk into a mind-body practice by practicing mindfulness. Mindful walking brings together physical movement, attentive focus, awareness of the sensations in your body, and regulated breathing. The emphasis lies in being entirely present with each step, instead of focusing on the goal of reaching somewhere. The practice has been found to help decrease stress by reducing cortisol levels. Mindful walking also activates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood elevators, and can also help lead to better sleep. By heightening your awareness of your body, you can increase self-awareness, possibly resulting in healthier lifestyle habits. Research has also shown that mindful walking can enhance metabolic health, such as maintaining blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Walk This Way: The Significance of Proper Technique
No matter what kind of walking style you adopt, you must have an appropriate technique to achieve maximum benefits and avoid injuries. Professionals suggest keeping your head in a raised position, gazing forward, releasing your shoulders, swinging your arms naturally, using your core, and involving a heel-to-toe roll in every step. Steer clear of slouching, taking unusually long strides, and wearing proper shoes as well.
Listen to Your Body: When to Exercise Caution
Walking is generally safe, but in certain situations, precautions or adjustments may be necessary. It is important for people with neurological conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, joint disorders, arthritis, or balance issues to understand their limitations. A medical professional should always be consulted, especially when starting a new or more demanding walking technique.
You can tailor your daily walk to target specific fitness goals and overall health by learning about the surprising health benefits of various walks. A healthier and happier you can achieve by varying your walking routine, whether you choose to increase your pace with brisk or power walking, work more muscles with Nordic walking, challenge your body and mind with walking backwards, or develop inner peace with mindful walking.
Table: Summary of Key Health Benefits by Walking Style
| Walking Style | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| Regular Walking | Improved cardiovascular health, blood sugar control, weight management, sleep quality, mental well-being, and reduced risk of chronic diseases |
| Brisk Walking | Enhanced cardiovascular benefits, increased calorie expenditure, reduced risk of heart disease and early death, and potential for increased life expectancy |
| Power Walking | Similar benefits to jogging, with lower joint impact, increased calorie burn, muscle toning, improved VO2 max, enhanced mental health, and cognitive function |
| Nordic Walking | Upper body engagement, increased energy expenditure, improved cardiovascular fitness, benefits for chronic pain, back pain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, enhanced balance and posture |
| Backward Walking | Strengthens specific muscle groups (quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings), improves balance and coordination, has potential cognitive benefits, increases calorie burn, and may ease knee and back pain |
| Mindful Walking | Stress reduction, improved mood, enhanced body awareness, potential positive impacts on metabolic health (blood pressure, blood sugar), increased sense of presence and gratitude |
