Walking has many benefits for both body and mind. It lifts the mood, can prevent depression and dementia and, incidentally, ensures that you get to know and appreciate your immediate surroundings better.
In order to keep yourself physically fit, it is not necessary to push your limits in sports. Much it is more important that you move at all. The step from no exercise to little exercise can make a huge difference to your body and soul. Regular walking can help with this. Even short walks can have a positive impact on your health. However, it is important that you regularly move. You can find out here what advantages walking has for you.
1. A potentially longer and healthier life
A Europe-wide study with over 334,000 participants found that even minimal physical activity Reduce the risk of premature death by 16 to 30 percent can. Test subjects who, in contrast, hardly moved at all served as a comparison value.
Not only do you stand a chance of living longer if you walk regularly. Physical activity can also keep us feeling young and able to exercise for longer.
2. Walking lifts our spirits
Even if we don’t expect anything from a walk, it almost certainly will Bad mood mend That’s according to a study published in an international psychology journal. Even light and occasional physical activity, such as walking, can have a positive effect on our mood. Incidentally, this also applied to the subjects in the study who did not know the intention of the study or who had a negative attitude towards going for a walk.
It is therefore highly recommended, for example in the lunch breakto go for a walk. Even if you don’t feel like it beforehand, the walk is guaranteed to be worthwhile for you.
3. Go for a walk and give yourself a break
Do you know the problem that you’ve been working on a task for hours and at some point you just can’t concentrate on it anymore? Sometimes it can be helpful if you step away from your work for a short time. Problems that you can’t solve with hard thinking may be easier to tackle after a walk.
We also look too much at things around us these days. Mostly these are screens, but sometimes books and magazines. This is tiring for our eyes and increasingly leads to short-sightedness. Experts found this out in a review of the causes of myopia. On the other hand, it is good for your eyes if you regularly expose them to daylight. Looking into the distance also relaxes our eyes. Maybe it appeals to you too, one smartphone diet to do – this is not only good for your eyes, but can have a positive influence on your entire life.
4. Walks can relieve depression
A study by the Robert Koch Institute examined the Relationship between physical activity and mental health. This doesn’t just mean that going for a walk will lift your spirits (like point two). Rather, the study referred to the lasting influence on the human psyche. The result was that exercise can sustainably alleviate the symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression. In addition, exercise reduces the risk of developing such a disease.
The study states: “Exercise can help with depression be effective to a similar extent as drug therapy“.
5. You can discover new things when you go for a walk
Walking in unfamiliar places can be a great experience. It doesn’t matter whether you drive to the forest or just walk to another part of the city. You might discover a beautiful clearing, a dreamy place by the river, or a cute café. The discovery gives you an additional reward effect for your walk. You can find more inspiration here: Sustainable hiking: 5 tips for harmony between people and nature.
Getting to know new things definitely broadens your horizons. You can share your discoveries with friends and family and thus pass on the joy and experience.
6. Walking can prevent and alleviate dementia
Another scientific study examined links between physical activity and dementia. The result was that regular exercise can reduce the risk of dementia. According to the study, this is particularly true for Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.
Another effect could be observed: going for a walk not only reduces the risk of dementia, but can also limit the effects of the disease.
Hopefully these benefits have convinced you to take a few more walks outside. After all, the positive influences on body and soul have been tested and proven. Have fun walking!
Read more on Techzle.com:
- Movement games for children: fun for indoors and outdoors
- Stress management: These methods and exercises will help you
- Walking barefoot: That’s why we should do without shoes more often
German version available: 7 Benefits of Walking You Should Not Miss Out On