Walking is really important to maintain a healthy life

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Walking is very important

Walking is worthwhile because when done regularly it, among other things, improves blood fat values, lowers blood pressure, and maintains the well-being of the joints. Walking consumes energy, which helps with weight management. The mood also improves.

For many, a daily target of 10,000 steps has been set in their heads. The familiar health mantra is not very far from the truth, as 9,000 steps are the recommended minimum number of steps per day for adults, which everyone should strive for.

– Ordinary everyday activities become about 3000-4000 steps a day. When the additional half-hour walk, can be reached as early as about 9000 steps, the UKK Institute senior researcher Pauliina Husu says.

With 13,000 steps accumulated during the day, there is already talk of an ideal number.

Passivity pays off

The FAQ Institute classifies a daily balance of less than 5,000 steps as insufficient activity. If the days are passive and the steps revolve around a few thousand turns, the health benefits of walking will not accrue.

Husu reminds that all movement is, of course, out of time spent in place and thus good for health.

He says that regular exercise has holistic effects on the respiratory and circulatory systems as well as the musculoskeletal system.

– When you move a little, the muscles are passive. The lack of pumping motion can cause creases and misalignments, he points out.

Being present slows down the metabolism and energy consumption is low, which poses challenges to weight management.

– Problems related to fat and sugar metabolism can come and thus the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases, Husu adds.

A versatile and safe species

Walking can be a strength workout by toasting up stairs and uphills. A peaceful nature walk, on the other hand, relieves stress and lifts the mood.

Walking is a familiar and safe sport that plays a role in the lives of almost any type of exerciser, regardless of their exercise background and goals.

“Walking is also a good, easy and familiar way for those who have little mobility to start moving and increase movement in their daily lives, Husu reminds.

Walking is also a milder form of exercise than running.

– Walking puts less strain on the joints and can be done more often in small periods during the day. Walking can also make longer runs easier than running. It is a safer form of movement for strain injuries than running, Husu says.

– Walking is a diverse sport. You can walk for work and business trips and do effective sweat runs. It's good to combine different forms of walking, and that way you also get diversified health benefits, he says.

Sticks and uphill for extra power

For active people, walking is a good restorative form of more strenuous exercise. It can also be done as your own effective exercise. Additional power for jogging can be sought on walking poles, varying terrain, and by changing your pace.

– When you take the sticks with you, you can get enhanced walking and upper body muscles involved. Nordic walking raises your heart rate in different ways and makes the neck-shoulder circulation recover more effectively, Husu says.

Uphill climbs and stair walking give an extra kick to the walk. The heart rate rises and the muscles of the legs and buttocks get to work properly. Interval training can also be implemented in the form of jogging or running bursts. Moving in varying terrain also facilitates business management.

– If you go to a hilly forest terrain, where there are stumps, tree roots and rot, for example, the body can be challenged in a more versatile way and position and movement management can be practiced, Husu suggests.

Whether you are aiming for fitness, weight management or stress relief, you can adjust the number, length and power of your walks according to your own goals.

According to Husun a good starting point is the recommendation for two and a half hours of vigorous physical activity during the week. The same health benefits can also be obtained by increasing the power of exercise to be strenuous, with a minimum recommended hour and 15 minutes per week. As a versatile sport, walking is transformed into a brisk, strenuous exercise that promotes movement management.

Walking can go to the brisk endurance section. If more power, such as step walking, can be used to increase the effect of muscle strength on the muscles of the lower limbs, Husu says.

The best benefit from walking is obtained if the load is divided into different days. According to Husu, walking can be started from short distances and with light power. Gradually, the load can be increased by doing a few more effective sweat runs a week, and shorter and lighter shopping walks on other days.

The risk of getting sick is reduced

Walking activates muscles and stimulates metabolism. Blood circulation improves and the body's oxygen supply is enhanced. The movement also does good for the joints because it lubricates them, he lists.

When walking, energy consumption increases compared to being stationary, which helps with weight management. The mood is also improving.

Walking relieves stress and mood rises. Especially in nature, moving has such good effects, Husu says.

According to Husu, the immediate positive effect is also seen in the quality of sleep and the ease of falling asleep.

– It would be best to move a few hours before going to bed, not just before. That's when the body can stay to go rounds, and it's hard to calm down, he guides.

Regular exercise improves blood fat levels and lowers blood pressure. In the longer term, it reduces the risk of developing many different diseases. These diseases include, for example, type 2 diabetes, diseases of the cardiovascular system, and certain cancers.