Two groups of sedentary men participated in a study that compared the measurable benefits of jogging vs. walking. Researchers had participants jog or walk for 30 minutes, four times per week. Which group did better?
Surprisingly, the walkers showed similar results to the joggers in terms of weight loss and endurance. A second study conducted for the British Journal of Sports Medicine backed up the findings. Over the course of 12 weeks, previously sedentary women began walking. Participants lost body fat, improved their HDL cholesterol concentration, and gained endurance. When they stopped walking for an additional 12 weeks, their results were reversed.
Your Body is Designed to Walk
You might have heard that the human body is designed for movement. We are amazing in our ability to bend and flex, and we have an astonishing capacity for endurance. Yes, we have the ability to run, but we truly excel when it comes to walking.
Think about what our ancestors had to do to survive. They spent hours and sometimes days tracking animals, gathering food, and moving from one camp to another. They ran short distances, but for the most part, they walked, engaging in a technique known as persistence hunting. In persistence hunting, animals were methodically tracked until they were too exhausted to escape. The hunters got the meat their people needed to survive, and it’s quite likely that they carried it long distances back to camp, walking steadily until they arrived home.
Later, most people continued to do lots of walking in pursuit of food and other goods. While horses and other pack animals helped, most people spent the majority of their time in motion, planting, harvesting, gathering, hunting, and handling essential chores. There wasn’t much sitting! Today, others do these things for us, and we have machines to take care of mundane tasks.
Think about it: Now that food is readily available, we don’t have to walk long distances to get to it. We can get it at a fast-food drive through, and we can even have it delivered if we like, walking just a few feet from the couch to the front door and back again. This is just one example! We have elevators and escalators to save the number of steps we take. We have cars and buses and trains. We look for parking close to movie theaters, where we spend free time sitting. I could go one and on – but I’m sure you get my point. If you think about the amount of time you spend in a seated position for work, during your commute, and during your downtime, you’ll probably come up with a shocking figure.
Sitting is the New Smoking, and What Happens when you Cut Back
This isn’t meant to shame anyone, but instead, to raise awareness of the potential for serious problems. There’s a common saying that sitting is the new smoking, thanks to research that links our sedentary lifestyles with health concerns ranging from obesity to high blood sugar to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Luckily, even simple actions such as spending time standing, stretching, and walking at a leisurely pace can make a huge difference. As study after study shows, exercise doesn’t have to be intense to provide benefits – especially when it has been a long time since you got up off the couch or took time away from your desk to move your body.
Some Primary Benefits of Walking
Besides weight loss, better heart health, and improved HDL cholesterol, what can you look forward to when you make walking part of your weekly plan?
- Less stress
- Better mood
- Greater self-esteem
- Enhanced focus and creativity
- Better productivity at work
- Stronger, more flexible muscles
- Better joint health
- Enhanced immunity
- Better balance
- Better, deeper sleep
There’s a lot more, but for now, we’ll end the list of benefits with these findings from a study released by California State University, Long Beach:
“Walking more each day is related to a wide variety of mood and personality variables. The more people walk each day, the more energetic they feel and the better their mood. Although intuitively it would seem that walking more reduces energy, the opposite is true. More walking is associated with more energy. In addition to more energy and better mood, self-esteem and happiness increase when people walk more. Also, walking more appears to result in better nutrition. Why this occurs is unclear, but it may be related to the energy connection (Thayer, 1996). It is apparent that energy is an important variable as demonstrated by increased sleep being associated with more walking.
How to Get Started
You don’t need much to get started with walking – in fact, all you really need is a place to walk, comfortable clothing, and a pair of shoes that feel comfortable on your feet.
You can walk almost anywhere, meaning that you don’t need a gym membership or even a specially designated walking trail. You can walk at malls or shopping centers during bad weather. You can walk up and down the hall for five minutes at home or get your blood pumping by walking up and down stairs a few times. You can go around the block once or twice.
You don’t have to spend long stretches of time to start receiving the benefits of walking. In fact, little bits add up. If for example you took four 5-minute breaks to walk each day, it would add up to 140 minutes – almost 2 ½ hours per week. Add just one more 5-minute walk break and suddenly you’ve upped your weekly exercise time to a touch over 3 hours.
Here are a few easy ways to get some walking in without much effort at all:
- If you watch TV, stand up and walk around during commercials.
- If you work at a desk, set a reminder to stand up and walk around every 30 minutes or so. Try to take longer 5-minute breaks to walk up and down a long hallway or go outside for a quick lap around the parking lot or a city block.
- Take 5 or 10 minutes to walk around your neighborhood after dinner.
Of course, longer walks are beneficial and they can be enormously enjoyable, particularly when you’re able to get outside for a little sunshine and fresh air. Imagine taking a break, listening to your favorite music (or the sounds of nature) and clearing your head for about 30 minutes. You’d return feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face whatever is next on your agenda.
More Walking, More Benefits
Like so many things in life, the more you put into your walking program, the more you’re going to get out of it. A little is good, and more is even better. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of taking little walks, you’ll probably be ready to take the next step – in fact, you’re likely to notice that you crave the gentle motion of walking, along with the mental release that accompanies it.
When you get more intentional with your walking habit, your benefits will increase. Here are some things you can look forward to when you decide to walk for about 30 minutes per day on most days of the week:
- Walking regularly can improve your body’s insulin response and help you shed stubborn belly fat.
- Walking helps prevent constipation by encouraging the digestive tract to move things along, so you enjoy greater regularity.
- Your risk of heart disease will drop. The exact percentage depends on other factors; however, every little bit helps.
- Lower depression risk. Those who are depressed notice reduced symptoms.
- Stronger, tighter muscles.
- Stronger bones: Walking for as little as 4 hours per week reduces the risk of hip fractures by about 43%.
- Lower diabetes risk: If you log an average of 3,500 steps daily, you can cut your risk of diabetes by about 29%.
- Less sugar cravings, even when you walk for as little as 15 minutes.
- Enhanced immunity, particularly during flu and cold season. A study found that people who walked for 20 minutes per day or more, 5 days per week, took 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised just once per week. Those who did get sick had milder symptoms and a shorter recovery time than low- to no-exercise study participants.
- Better memory: People who walk for just 120 minutes per week protect their brain’s ability to plan and remember.
- Lower arthritis risk and less joint pain for those who have already developed arthritis.
- Greater longevity: Even walking for 75 minutes per week can add about 2 years to your lifespan.
If you’re female, you may want to consider gradually upping your daily walks to about an hour or take some longer walks on weekends. According to the American Cancer Society, 7 hours of weekly walking can reduce your breast cancer risk by about 14 percent, even if you have other risk factors like being overweight or taking hormones.
Easy Ways to Up Your Walking Game
Getting more than a few short walking breaks per day can sometimes feel like a bit of an effort in the beginning. It helps to make a commitment to yourself, but as most of us know from experience, it takes more than commitment to stay motivated! Try one or two of the following tactics to increase the amount of time you spend walking each week and within a month or two, you’ll be in a habit that’s very easy to maintain for life.
- Make definite, actionable goals, i.e. “I’ll take a 20-minute walk after dinner each night.” When that 20-minute walk has become a habit, you may want to increase your time by five or ten minutes, or you might want to add another longer walking session to your daily routine, such as a ten-minute walk during your lunch break.
- Get a pair of comfortable walking shoes if you don’t have them already. I keep my shoes and a few pairs of clean socks in my car, so I can take a nice walk whenever I feel like it.
- Engage your body by looking forward, standing in an upright, relaxed posture with your stomach muscles lightly tightened. As you walk, allow your arms to swing naturally and notice that your feet want to naturally roll forward from heel to toe.
- Ensure that you’re well-hydrated. Carry water with you!
- Start tracking your progress. People who wear a fitness tracker or keep a simple journal detailing the amount of time they spent walking tend to feel excited as their step or time total grows. It feels great to see how far you’ve come!
- Get together with a friend or loved one and connect face-to-face during the time you spend walking. Some people do this outdoors, others head for side-by-side treadmills at the gym.
- If you like audiobooks or music, make listening part of your routine. I personally enjoy my Audible membership and I crave my exercise time because it’s my opportunity to catch up on my “reading.”
- Take time for active, on-your-feet fun. Try outdoor festivals, museums, nature trails, or even some window shopping.
- Get your health care provider in on the game. If you’ve been sedentary for a long time and you have significant health problems, see about tracking data such as your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio. You can keep track of a couple of these metrics at home using a scale and a tape measure, in case extra doctor visits aren’t available to you. Like tracking steps or time, tracking physical progress can be extremely motivating.
Last but not least, don’t worry too much if you miss a day here or there. But if you notice that you’re making excuses not to walk, re-evaluate and start over again. This exercise is so simple and so natural, and it feels so good to be a little more active!
Paired with other easy, actionable steps we’ll discuss in coming articles, even a little bit of walking helps you make massive strides toward better health for your body, mind, and spirit. Get started now and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to begin feeling and looking better.
One Trick That Lowers Blood Pressure in Minutes
High blood pressure damages your heart, blood vessels, and major organs, and it increases your risk for serious complications such as heart attack and stroke. While you want to make lifestyle changes that help reduce your blood pressure over time, there’s a simple way to lower your blood pressure within minutes.
Why Does Your Blood Pressure Reading Mean?
High blood pressure is often called “The silent killer” because many people who suffer from it show no symptoms. If you think you’re OK because you’re not flushed, sweating, or suffering from insomnia, think again!
Many of us are blissfully unaware of our blood pressure readings until a health care provider approaches us with the news that we’ve got high blood pressure. Feel free to skip on to the next section if you already have a good grasp on what your blood pressure reading means and how that affects you. If you’re in the dark at all, you’ll appreciate this quick explanation.
A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers.
- The top number is your systolic blood pressure.
- This measurement indicates the amount of force your heart places on your artery walls with every beat.
- The bottom number is your diastolic blood pressure.
- This measurement indicates the amount of force your heart places on your artery walls in between each beat.
All blood pressure readings fall into one of five categories.
- Normal: Systolic blood pressure is below 120, and diastolic blood pressure is below 80.
- Elevated: Systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 129, and diastolic blood pressure is below 80.
- Stage One High Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure is between 130 and 139, and/or diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89.
- Stage Two High Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure is 140 or above, and/or diastolic blood pressure is 90 or higher.
- Emergency: Systolic blood pressure is above 180, and/or diastolic blood pressure is above 120.
- If you are in a hypertensive crisis, you should call your doctor immediately.
If your blood pressure is above normal, you are at a higher risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
How to Lower Blood Pressure Right Now
There are three easy ways to lower your blood pressure right now. Choose whichever you like, depending on your location and how much time you have available.
Take a Hot Shower or Bath
Spending 15 minutes in a hot bath or shower will help lower your blood pressure, and the benefit will continue for a few hours. If you have time for a soak, consider adding Epsom salts and/or lavender essential oil to your bath. These can help deepen relaxation and ease stress while turning your regular routine into a pleasurable, spa-like experience.
Shift Your Focus
Simply noticing that you’re feeling stressed and then intentionally shifting your focus is a good way to relax and get your blood pressure down. It may take some practice; however, you’ll soon have this technique mastered. Shifting to a more positive mindset may even help you in the long term.
Do This Easy Breathing Exercise
You can do this exercise anywhere, but it’s best to find a quiet place where you can sit or lie comfortably for a few minutes. Once you have found your most comfortable position, take the following steps:
- Take a deep breath. Breathe from your diaphragm. If you are extremely tense, it may take a few tries to get a truly deep, relaxing breath.
- Now hold your breath for a count of two.
- Release your breath slowly.
- Pause for a few seconds, and then repeat the process a few times more.
You can pair this breathing exercise with other techniques. Try to release any tension you are holding in your muscles and joints as you breathe. Repeat the process anytime you notice that you are starting to hold tension again.
How to Reduce Blood Pressure in the Long Term
While short-term blood pressure reduction is beneficial, it’s very important to work toward a normal blood pressure reading. Be sure to talk to your health care provider if you have high blood pressure, since it can accompany other illnesses. In the meantime, start taking some simple measures to get your blood pressure back into a healthy range. Here are a few things to try.
If You Smoke or Chew Tobacco, Stop
You probably know that smoking and chewing tobacco are among the worst of all bad habits. What you might not realize is that tobacco use is a major contributor to high blood pressure. The nicotine raises your heart rate and blood pressure while simultaneously hardening arteries and narrowing their walls. It also increases stress on your heart and makes your blood prone to clotting.
You might be a former smoker who vapes. If you’re vaping, you will do yourself an enormous favor by stopping now. Even though this form of nicotine use is viewed as “healthier” than smoking, it’s equally damaging to your heart and blood vessels.
Since nicotine is to blame for the connection between tobacco use/vaping and high blood pressure, you’ll want to avoid other forms of nicotine as well. As a former smoker, I can sympathize with you! Consider asking your doctor about nicotine patches and/or gum if you know you can’t quite cold turkey but try to stop all nicotine use as fast as you can. I’m here to reassure you that the temporary cravings are well worth the benefits that come with quitting – in terms of health and financial savings!
Drink Less Alcohol
Many people drink red wine night after night, thinking that it’s good for their hearts. While most men can safely enjoy up to two servings per day, women should limit themselves to one serving per day. You may heal faster if you cut back even further, since alcohol has lots of empty calories and is linked to obesity, high triglycerides, and (you guessed it) high blood pressure. Know how much alcohol makes a serving and watch portion sizes if you choose to drink.
- Beer – 12 ounces
- Wine – 4 ounces
- 80-proof liquor – 1.5 ounces
- 100-proof liquor – 1 ounce
Get Stress Under Control
Experts aren’t certain why stress has such a deep connection with high blood pressure, but they do know that there is a connection between the two. Since hypertension is easier to tame once stress is reduced, it is very important to identify stressors and avoid them. You can also take proactive steps toward overall stress management including:
- Meditation
- Deep breathing
- Guided visualizations
- Yoga
- Tai-chi
- Better time management
- Getting adequate sleep
- Taking time out for friendship and intimacy
- Biofeedback
- Talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy
Decaf, Please
Sad to say, caffeine is a big no-no for anyone who’s trying to reduce their blood pressure. Yes, you can have a small amount and it’s fine to wean yourself away gradually. Consider replacing your morning coffee with hibiscus tea. Not only is it a refreshing alternative, it has been shown to lower systolic blood pressure. In one study, participants who enjoyed just three cups of hibiscus tea per day over lowered their systolic blood pressure by an average of seven points over the course of six weeks.
Take a Look at Your Sodium Intake
Sodium is an essential nutrient, but many of us eat far too much of it. Cutting back is a good way to start seeing some improvement in your blood pressure numbers. Even if you hate reading labels, it’s worth the effort! Aim for a maximum intake of 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
- Cut back on processed foods, since these tend to contain far too much sodium.
- Try not to add salt to your food. Choose savory herbs instead.
Lose a Little Weight (Or a Lot)
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the easiest ways to keep your blood pressure under control. Don’t despair if you are carrying more weight than you can lose quickly; even a reduction of 5 to 10 pounds can be helpful. Do aim toward achieving a healthy body weight as you’ll benefit in many ways when you do!
Start Exercising
This is the advice we hate to hear, isn’t it? But exercise is an essential component of good health, down to the smallest detail. So, start moving your body. Even a little bit of exercise will help, particularly if you are sedentary. Aim for a habit of 30 minutes of exercise each day. Even gentle yoga will help, so start where you are and work your way toward more intense activity. Whatever you do, don’t jump into a routine suddenly and with intensity as you may do more harm than good. If your blood pressure is in dangerous territory, be sure to talk to your doctor about how best to approach exercise.
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/blood-pressure-reading-explained
https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/herbs-to-lower#cats-claw
https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management
My father always suffered from high blood pressure, I wish we knew this!