Yes, Walking Counts as Exercise. A Personal Trainer Shares the Biggest Benefits

With the warmer weather, this is the perfect time to walk in your neighborhood block or your local park. And if you need more inspiration, you can get into a trend like the “Hot Girl Walk” or “Mental Health Walk”.

Depending on your speed, walking may not immediately trigger training on your fitness tracker such as jogging or climbing stairs. For this reason, people on the Internet are divided on the question of whether walking is really a training. We talked to a personal trainer for their point of view on the advantages of walking and how to pass your routine to the next level.

What is the Hot Girl Walk trend?

During the 2020 pandemic summer, Tiktok Mia Lind’s personality felt isolated and faced negative thoughts. So she started to make four -thousand walks to think about gratitude, her goals and her warmth. Inspired by the summer of the Hot Girl song by rapper Megan Thee Stallion, Lind invented his outings “Hot girl walked“And started to share them online.

Does the walk count as exercise?

Yes, walking is exercise and experts in physical and mental health disciplines agree. Sergii PutsovA certified personal trainer with a doctorate in sports sciences, says: “Walking for only 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of serious cardiovascular disease and dementia.” April CroweA clinical social worker approved by Paramount Wellness Retreat, adds that “walking in natural environments also stimulates cognitive function and creativity, thus providing a single type of therapy”.

Is walking more than building the strength of your heart? In fact, yes. THE Mayo clinic has identified additional advantages for walking health. According to the medical center, walking can improve muscle endurance, stimulate energy, reduce blood pressure, strengthen bones and support the immune system. You can see advantages outside and on a treadmill.

Walking alone can also change the shape of your body. In 2017, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health Has a meta-analysis of 22 clinical trials related to walking and health. The results revealed that the fast walking reduced the waist, the fat mass and the percentage of body fat to a “clinically significant” degree in men and women under the age of 50 living with obesity. This can also cause overall weight loss. So, this “Hot Girl Girl” that you take could cause notable changes to your body if you stand.

Does walking enough exercise?

Walking can certainly be combined with other activities as part of a circuit. You can also walk as a warm -up for jogging or cycling. Walking alone can provide results and can have fewer negative impacts on your body than other high impact sports.

Gregor ParellaAlso a CPT, known as Walking for Walking’s: “It is much better than jogging because jogging can exert excessive pressure on your ankles, especially if you are strongly built. On the other hand, a fast walk is one of the best exercises because it thunders the muscles of your legs and your calves” without the same pressure on the joints.

Even walking at a slow pace is better than being stationary at home, but a faster pace will also accelerate health benefits. A 2019 study in Atherosclerosis found that “the rhythm of walking was inversely associated with the risk of death and development of cardiovascular disease” in male doctors with an average age of 67.8. In other words, the faster you walk, the lower your risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

Regarding how long you need to walk, the United States Ministry of Health and Social Services recommends at least 150 minutes physical activity with moderate intensity each week, or 30 minutes a day for five days, for significant benefits for health. This may include walking quickly at 2.5 MPH at 4 MPH. Walking at a slow or quiet pace (2 MPH or less) is considered to be a light intensity activity, which is likely to produce certain health benefits in relation to sedentary behavior, but not as many advantages as walking quickly.

The benefits for walking

There are many health benefits. Not only can activity reduce cortisol levels, like all forms of exercise, and give you some fresh air, but you can see various tangible improvements in the following health indicators:

• Sleep better. Low impact physical activity can cause more agitated sleep. A small 2020 study published in Sleep health have found that the increase in daily stages led to a better quality sleep, especially in women.
• Lower risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes AssociationWalking at least 30 minutes a day could help you avoid type 2 diabetes. The increase in your daily steps can control your glucose level.
• Reduce blood pressure. A 2022 study of the American family doctor reported that a regular working schedule with moderate intensity can reduce systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate.
• Improved balance. Staying stable on your feet is increasingly important for your health as you get older. Harvard Health Publishing declares that walking strengthens the strength of the lower body, which improves balance.
• Lower risk of cancer. Walking can even reduce your risk of cancer. A 2013 study on Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers and prevention found that menopausal women who walked at least seven hours a week had a risk of 14% of breast cancer that women who walked three hours or less per week.

Ways to make walking more intense

If you hit a tray with your walking routine, you can add a certain intensity to your walk without having to jog or change your activity. Making your walk more rigorous could increase the number of calories burned by giving your body a new challenge. The ways to get up on your daily march include:

• Increase the time of your walk. If you are currently walking 30 minutes a day, add more time in intervals of 10 or 15 minutes. Putsov recommends walking at least 45 minutes a day if your goal is weight loss.
• Increase your speed. You can also add more intensity by accelerating speed. Free fitness training applications with activated GPS, including Nike Run Club, can help you follow the distance and time to calculate your pace.
• Wear weights of the wrist or ankle. Tie weights like Bangles Bala can launch your walk from a notch. These types of weight can be worn on your ankles or your wrists to provide resistance.
• Alternate your rhythm. The two CPTs we talked about recommended walking intervals to make walking more difficult. Try to walk for five minutes at a regular rate, then five minutes of walking on speed, etc.
• Add a slope to your route. Are you walking on a flat surface for most of your route? Find a hill to increase the difficulty of your trek. You may also want to add a retro walk (backwards).

How to stay motivated on foot

It is easy to get passionate about a new training routine, and it is just as natural to get bored or frustrate when you stop seeing major results. You can find useful music and podcasts because they make time seem to spend more quickly. Just make sure that these sounds are background noise so you can always be aware of your environment and those around you.

Crowe also recommends set clear and achievable objectives. She says that it can help you remember how far you have traveled, explaining: “Save all the achievements made during walks, whether via mobile applications or personal journals, will act as a reminder”, which can push you stronger next time.

If you go alone, it is more difficult to stay on the right track, try to walk with a partner or see if there is a walking club in your region. Parella says that a walking boyfriend can increase your feeling of responsibility and make experience more fun. You can also try new landscapes to stay motivated during a walk. Obtaining a little sun will increase your vitamin D intake, which could improve your mood.

Security advice while walking

Before hitting the sidewalk during your daily walking or your hot walk, make sure you are well equipped for the task. Although a neighborhood or a walk by the lake may seem harmless, you always want to prepare for a safe return.

1. Bring water. At moderate temperatures, rei recommended Drink half a liter (about 17 oz) of water every hour. If it is hot outside, you should increase your water consumption. Dehydrate on a walk could leave you dizzy or sick, so be sure to bring your water bottle.
2. Wear the right shoes. You do not want to be put out of service halfway through your walk because of a tracked ankle or serious blisters. Be installed in an athletics store for quality walking shoes that adapt to the shape and the arches of your foot.
3. Make someone know your location. Make sure that when you walk in nature or at night, someone can find you. Sharing your location on Google Maps is an easy way to get there.
4. Wear reflective equipment at night. Wear a thoughtful jacket or a vest if you walk early in the morning or after twilight. You can also get reflective adhesive tape and add it to your shoes and at the back of your pants.
5. Use the sidewalks. The United States Ministry of Transport indicates that you should always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
6. Plan your route. To avoid getting lost or walking in areas that can be unlit or dangerous, plan your route in advance. This will help you stay aware of your environment while allowing you to give someone your exact location before leaving.
7. Carry your phone. If you walk alone – especially at night – be sure to wear your phone in an emergency. However, do not let your phone distract you to the point where you are not alert and aware of your environment.