Fitness

Walking Too Slow May Cause People to Age Faster

12. Expand Lung Capacity Lung capacity also determines your health. Walking helps in increasing oxygen intake. When you walk, your lungs tend to inhale more oxygen… Trista - December 31, 2019

With ailments taking a toll on your health and making you incapable of doing your typical chores, it has become more than essential to prioritize your well-being. A busy schedule mixed with everyday life means people often forget to look after their health. For instance, relying on a junk food diet can increase the chances of diabetes, obesity, cholesterol, and whatnot. Hence, it is essential to follow a nutritional diet that provides your body with the required nutrients and minerals to sustain the body’s functionality.

Along with maintaining a healthy diet, it is also essential to remain physically active. Yes, physical inactivity results in several muscle deformities, fat accumulation, cardiovascular diseases, and more. It doesn’t take much time to engage in activities that involve muscle movement.

Walking is one of the practical and less strenuous ways to enhance your overall health. Yes, you heard it right walking for just 30 minutes every day will provide your body with multiple health benefits. From cardiovascular fitness, reduced body fat boosted muscle power to strengthened bones, and walking can give you what diet alone cannot. If you stay true to your walking regimen, then you can even reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cancers, and every severe ailment that is directly linked to your physical activity.

Walking is great for your health, but how slow do you go? Shutterstock

1. Walking Compared to Other Forms of Exercise

Unlike the other rigorous forms of exercises that require additional strength and power, walking is easy and comforting. Walking doesn’t make you feel like you are engaging in a vigorous exercising routine. Just a 30 minutes walk every day can give you a multitude of benefits. There’s no doubt in asserting that walking requires minimal effort and any additional equipment, it can be done anywhere and anytime. You can go out and walk on the lawn or roads. It doesn’t need to be a strict plan or schedule of walking; you can take out little time or divide that time throughout the day and take short walks.

If you are not getting the right motivation to walk alone, you can join clubs and make groups for your walking endeavors. You can set walking goals with your pals that will keep you competitive and motivated about your walking regimen. If you are not yet convinced of the significance of walking in your life, then take a look at the health benefits of walking.

Walking makes your heart healthier. Shutterstock

2. Improve Your Heart Health

You probably did not realize it, but walking can actually improve your heart health. Yes, just walking! Even scientists and health experts claim that walking is the ideal exercise for sedentary people.

It helps in reducing the risks of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. Walking increases blood circulation, and that keeps your heart functioning. Hence, walking is closely related to minimizing the risk of heart strokes and other heart-related diseases.

Weight gain. Shutterstock.

3. Help with Weight Loss

Weight gain has become a grave concern for many people. Unhealthy diets are to be blamed for weight gain issues. Don’t worry; you have a seamless solution for this.

Walking daily is a great and effortless way to shed some extra pounds on your body. American scientists have even conducted a study where they made some obese people walk in and around the city. After eight weeks, more than 50% of people lost an average of five pounds.

Your blood pressure will be in control if you will walk regularly. Shutterstock

4. Keep Your Blood Pressure At Check

Walking is directly related to blood pressure. Studies and research have proven that walking can improve the management of hypertension to a great extent.

Research from Japan experimented on individuals suffering from mild hypertension where they were asked to walk 10,000 steps per day for 12 weeks. By the end of 12 weeks, there were significant improvements in their blood pressure and stamina.

Walking reduces cancer risks as well. Shutterstock

5. Reduce Cancer Risks

Cancer is a life-threatening disease, and it claims over a million lives. A sedentary lifestyle and absence of physical activity can lead to several forms of cancer. That’s where walking can come to rescue your life.

As walking helps reduce weight, it eventually reduces the risks of cancer as well. Furthermore, walking is also proven to be beneficial to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy in people who are undergoing cancer treatments.

The blood circulation is improved. Shutterstock

6. Improve Circulation

Walking naturally increases your blood flow and supply your brain with oxygen and glucose. Oxygen and glucose help in brain functions and eventually improve your overall health.

Walking is also proven to reduce the LDL cholesterol level that can block your arteries and lead to heart strokes. So, walking every day without any efforts will improve your blood circulation and brain cellular functions.

Walking helps prevent diabetes. Shutterstock

7. Steer You Clear From Diabetes

As mentioned earlier, diabetes and weight gain are some of the common and grave health concerns of today. Walking can also help you control the blood sugar levels that eventually prevent type 2 diabetes.

Even if you are in your twenties or thirties, walking now can set you up for a healthier future. Go ahead and enjoy a fast stroll around the mall! Your older self will thank you 20 to 30 years from now.

Walking makes your bones and body stronger. Shutterstock

8. Empower Your Bones

Bone health is essential to take care of. Bones tend to become weak with your age. But, you can strengthen them with the help of walking regularly. Walking is also proven to improve bone density or at least prevent its loss.

Bones create the framework of our body; hence, walking will determine our posture, stamina, and balance. Arthritis, one of the significant bone-related diseases, can also be cured with the help of regular walking.

Your digestion is also improved with walking. Shutterstock

9. Improve Your Digestion

Your gut health is also connected to your walking routine. Gastrointestinal diseases such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and colon cancer as well can be treated by following a regular walking regimen.

Along with maintaining a healthy diet and drinking habits, you should also prioritize walking to improve your digestion. Walking after meals is a great way to trigger the digestion process.

It boosts your immunity and ultimately fights various diseases. Shutterstock

10. Boost Immunity

Our immune system helps in keeping us clear from all possible conditions. It creates a protective shield for our body and safeguards it from external attacks. Walking boosts your immunity like nothing else.

A 30 minutes’ walk every day will promote the activities of your immune cells. Walking releases WBCs rapidly, allowing your body to heal quickly. If you are sick often, maybe you should try walking more often, after you feel better.

Walking also prevents mental illnesses. Shutterstock

11. Safeguard Yourself from Dementia

Along with physical ailments, walking can also prevent some mental illnesses, as well. Dementia is one such neurological condition wherein your memory gradually starts losing your memory.

It can lead to difficulty in performing day-to-day activities and total dependence on others. Walking helps in stimulating your brain, and walking at a moderate pace will help in preventing dementia in the long run. It also helps in enhancing your memory and increasing cognitive thinking.

Walking helps in increasing the oxygen intake. Shutterstock

12. Expand Lung Capacity

Lung capacity also determines your health. Walking helps in increasing oxygen intake. When you walk, your lungs tend to inhale more oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

This consumption and release of oxygen and carbon dioxide on a larger scale helps in increasing your lung capacity. Increased lung capacity increases your stamina and exercise strength. A 60-minute walk at a medium pace will do the right thing.

Walking helps in producing Vitamin D in the body too. Shutterstock

13. Produce Vitamin D

Our body has vitamin D substances that are triggered when the sun’s UV rays fall on our bodies. Hence, walking in the morning is considered excellent to produce vitamin D in our body.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient to strengthen muscle and bone health. It also reduces the risk of cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. So, you must expose your body to the sun for at least 10-15 minutes, and walking is a great way to do that.

Bid a goodbye to stress. Shutterstock

14. Decrease Stress

Walking helps improve circulation which eventually helps in reducing the stress level. It provides your body with essential nutrients and supplies oxygen to the cells, which helps in taming down the stress.

Walking stimulates the nervous system receptors and reduces the generation of stress hormones. When you walk, the inhalation and exhalation tend to ease out the tension that you cannot dampen otherwise.

Say hello to a good mood. Shutterstock

15. Improve Mood

There’s nothing better than starting your day with a brisk walk and watching the sunrise. Scientists have proven that physical activity in any form help in reducing the risk of depression.

Walking is considered the scientific way to uplift your mood and provide a fresh start to your day. It helps in rejuvenating your senses and steering clear from stress, depression, and every other mental discomfort. All you need to do to make your mood right is take a walk in the fresh air.

Walking enhances your brain functions. Shutterstock

16. Enhance Memory

As mentioned earlier, walking is closely related to brain functions. Walking can help to supply oxygen to your brain cells and enhances brain functions. Japanese scientists claim that walking can fine-tune the memory of older people.

Physical activity helps in keeping your brain and body functioning that also helps in improving your memory. A 30 minutes’ walk every day can be a real memory booster for you.

Increase your productivity with walking. Shutterstock

17. Heighten Productivity

When you start your day with lethargy, you cannot go about the day and do the everyday chores with energy. Instead, if you kick start your day with a morning walk, your body will be boosted with energy and enthusiasm, making you productive throughout the day.

A sedentary lifestyle can never contribute to efficiency and productivity in your life. Be it your work, home, or school; you need to bring the enthusiasm to lead your day. Walking is such an effective way to bring significant changes in your lifestyle and brim it with energy.

Improve your creativity with walking. Shutterstock

18. Stimulate Creativity

Your creativity is closely related to your walking regimen. Walking helps in taming down your nervous system and relaxes brain muscles. When you walk, you are not bound by any tension or stress; you can embrace nature and breathe the fresh air, which in turn, rewards your brain with creativity.

Walking helps enhances your analytical thinking and improve your creativity. So, if you want to give your creativity a little boost, then take a walkout.

Make walking buddies. Shutterstock

19. Gain Social Support

If you think walking only has miraculous benefits on your physical and mental well-being, then there’s more to the benefits of walking. It helps in expanding your social interactions. When you start walking, you tend to make walking buddies and increase your social circle.

Every day you will look forward to interacting with them and sharing your experience. Having a social group will also help in achieving your walking much faster.

Walking relieves joint pain. Shutterstock

20. Ease Your Joint Pain

Joint pains are common. Though there are many ways through which you can ease your joint pains, such as therapies and medications, the most effective and less strenuous method is to remain physically active.

Walking will help you strengthen your joints by increasing its flexibility. When your joints become flexible, the chances of joint pain will be less. Lack of friction is something that gives rise to joint pains, and walking lubricates your joints to strengthen the muscles and support joints.

You will have toned legs in no time thanks to walking. Shutterstock

21. Tone Your Legs

If you are working hard to make your legs look slim and lean, then walking can do the tricks. Walking strengthens your leg muscles. Start walking every day to make your legs look more toned than ever.

For better results, try walking with more strength, like taking a walk in the hilly area or walk on the treadmill. Taking the stairs instead of the lift is also an excellent option for toning your leg muscles.

Go ahead and form a walking group. Shutterstock

22. Slow the Aging Process

Can walking make you age slower? Harvard graduated were involved in a study where it was proven that those who walked 30 minutes’ a day tend to live longer than the ones who had a sedentary lifestyle. Walking may or not help in activating the telomerase enzyme that is maintain the DNA integrity responsible for aging.

Many age-related problems can be prevented by following a regular walking regime. If you think your age is taking a toll on your life and restricting to do things that you used to do easily, then it’s time to take charge of your life and start walking every day and bring a positive change in your life.

Go for a walk and you will feel better. Shutterstock.

23. Walking and Aging Go Hand in Hand

You might find it bizarre, but your walking is closely related to your aging process. From the above benefits of walking, those who walk regularly tend to age more slowly and live a physically active life. Your walking intensity also determines the frequency of your aging.

There has been plenty of research and studies conducted on the relationship between age and walking. It has been found that the more you walk, the slower you age, and he slows your walk, the more you age. Older people are largely benefited with walking, as it helps them in bringing active and brimming with energy at their senior age. Your walking intensity indeed determines the way you age. Before understanding that slow walking accelerates your aging, it is important to assess the goodness of walking when start aging.

Get healthy at any age. Shutterstock

24. Do Your Body a Favor

Aging can make your muscles and joints weaker. Walking will keep your joints flexible and muscles strengthened. Memory loss and lack of concentration are common when you start aging. At a certain age, you tend to witness such brain-related issues, and walking can be an effective solution for all that. Walking pumps oxygen into your brain, enhancing its function.

Diabetes and cholesterol come with age. Both are concerning issues in older people. The more you age, the more you will be exposed to these issues. Walking will help you steer clear from such diseases as it is considered a great way to control your blood sugar levels.

Sitting around might be relaxing, but it is not doing your body any favors. Shutterstock

25. Avoid a Sedentary Lifestyle

With age come many physical ailments. Your bones and muscles tend to become weak and create balance issues. Walking allows you to strengthen the bones and acquire the right posture and balance of the body.

Walking is also looked like a practical approach to reduce stress and depression that come with age. Older people tend to develop a sedentary lifestyle due to their incapability to do things that they used to do at a younger age. Walking can bring significant changes in your lifestyle by making it your go-to physical activity.

Slow walking might cause fast aging. Shutterstock

26. Slow Walking Is Equal to Fast Aging

There’s no doubt in asserting that walking is a great way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. But, you are walking style determines the way you age. If you walk at a slower pace in your forties, you might age faster than you think. A recent study has sprouted this belief. The study found that your walking speed in your forties indicates your neurological aging.

There have been several previous studies and research as well that stated the link between gait health and aging. But, a recent survey of JAMA Network Open found that at the age of 45, your walking speed determined the frequency of your aging.

Midlife crises can be debilitating. Shutterstock

27. Can Walking During Your Middle Age Help?

Midlife is one of the significant phases of your aging that brings you close to more physical and mental illness. It depends on your lifestyle and physical activity that determines the intensity of your aging. Midlife is a phase when you are between the age of 45-50 years. Walking speed is a major indicator of your lifespan and health.

The researchers studied the walking patterns of the participants. They kept track of their performance, general health, and behavior at different age group people, starting from the age of 3. Neurologists assessed their performance and intelligence. The researchers accessed their emotional, receptive language, motor skills, and behavioral regulation. With all the data acquired regarding their speed, memory, verbal comprehension, reasoning, and more, they concluded.

Just follow the research associated with walking. Shutterstock

28. The Results of the Evaluation Tell It All

Their performance was evaluated on many grounds to conclude that age determines the way you age. It was found that people who stroll at the age of 45 were seen to have accelerated aging. To find evidence of accelerated aging, researchers looked into several biomarkers such as blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, cholesterol, blood urea level, blood cell count, and so on. They also used MRI scans to evaluate brain health, as well. The MRI scans proved that people in their forties have a smaller brain volume and cortical areas. In layman’s terms, it was found that brains started to age faster than the biological age.

Researches many evident signs of fast aging in the participants who were in their forties. Cardiorespiratory health, immune system, gum, and teeth health and gut health of the people of walked slowly were worse than the ones who walked faster. A significant concern is that it’s affecting people in their forties. It was quite evident that people in their 70s and 80s with slow walking tend to die sooner than the ones who walk faster at the same age. But, it was shocking to find that it has started affecting people in their forties.

People need to start paying attention to the evidence. Shutterstock

29. Research Builds a Link Between Walking Slower and Aging Faster

Researchers have full proof of evidence that states that slow walking is one of the deciding factors for your fast aging. From cardiovascular health to your gum health, everything tends to witness some signs of aging that can bring significant changes to your health. More rapid aging during the forties can lead to several physical and mental illnesses.

From difficulty in doing your daily chores and the inability to concentrate on things, there are plenty of discomforts that can be faced during this age. It is essential to make sure that your walking frequency gradually supports your aging process well. If you have started walking already, you need to increase the pace to enjoy its benefits the most and reduce the risks of faster aging.

You can look for specific signs of aging. Shutterstock

30. Signs of Aging

There are plenty of signs that state that you are aging faster than you should, and you should never ignore such warnings. It generates a set of concerns about early death, cardiovascular diseases, heart strokes, cancer, and more.

At the age of 40, your body tends to undergo several changes that bring you closer to the aging, but there are some factors like slow walking that can contribute to your faster aging. Please take a look at some of those evident signs of early aging and remain vigilant about them.

It might be time to go shopping. Shutterstock

31. Your Favorite Pants Won’t Fit

Are you struggling to slip in your pants that once glided smoothly through your legs? If yes, then you are aging, my dear. It probably is not due to eating habits alone. Weight gain is common as you age.

Your muscles contract and reflex with age. When you start aging, your muscles begin to expand. It does not generally mean that you are putting on weight, you might have a lean body yet find it challenging to fit in your pants.

Lotion improves skin quality. Shutterstock

32. You Are Running Out of Body Lotions

You might wear lotion on a regular basis, but do you notice a lack in your supply lately? Skin dryness is common, but when it starts becoming ultra-dry, and you have to keep them nourished forever, then it is a sign of early aging.

When your body starts aging, your skin tends to lose its ability to create the proteins and fats that keep young. So, if you are going through such extensive dryness issues, then you are possibly aging.

Are you waking up a lot at night? Shutterstock

33. You Sleep Like a Baby – Not in a Good Way

All of the parents out there were dreading this one because they are still trying to catch up on sleep. A baby’s sleep is never regular, and they tend to wake up now and then and find it difficult to go back to sleep again. If you have been sleeping like a baby lately, then there are chances that you have started aging.

Insomnia and other sleep-related problems can be a sign that your body is giving regarding the aging process. This generally occurs due to the high level of cortisol in your body.

Aging can often be seen on the face. Shutterstock

34. Your Face is Sunken or Grunted

This item is an obvious sign to someone who hasn’t visited you in a while. But to yourself, it might not be as noticeable. When you start aging, your face is the first to witness the changes. Apart from the evident signs like wrinkles and fine lines, your face also starts looking sunken.

Bone loss is a part of aging that causes the change in your face shape. Sunken lips, thin lips, and evident temples are some of the common signs on your face that shows you are pretty fast.

That white hair wasn’t there yesterday. Shutterstock

35. People Say You Don’t Look Like Your Age

While people say you look younger than your age can be taken as a compliment but looking older than your age is something you feel embarrassed about. It might be your makeup, hair, or overall style, but it might be your skin.

If you have been hearing the latter from people for quite some time, then you are probably going through the aging process. Looking older than your biological age is one of the evident signs of aging, and this is something you cannot control or hide.

Are you having trouble keeping up with your friends? Shutterstock

36. You Are Falling Behind With Your Social Group

This item might seem a bit vague, but it could apply to both a physical issue as well as a mental or emotional one. Do you find it challenging to catch up with your friends on a walkout? If yes, then you must be in your aging process.

Lack of energy and lethargy are common signs of aging. Feeling exhausted and instances of fatigue are the regular issues you might face when you are aging faster than you should be.

Get out and live a little! Enjoy more time with friends. Shutterstock

37. Enjoy Your Days Walking

Walking is one of those practical exercises that does not require any additional strength or power to perform. You can go out in the morning, breathe the fresh air, and bring the goodness of walking to your life. There are multiple benefits of walking regularly. Walking is proven to provide several physical and mental health benefits to the people who follow it typically.

From improving your heart health to strengthening your bones, walking can do things to your body beyond what you can think. You might be hitting the gym and sweating your body to make yourself physically active and steer clear from the ailments, but a 30 minutes’ walk every day can bring changes to your life that your diet and gym routine alone can never achieve. It is essential to make walking a part of your exercise regimen if you are looking for a less strenuous workout routine that gives the desired health benefits at the same time.

Spend more time walking around. Shutterstock

38. Please Go For a Stroll

You must have gone through the health benefits of walking every day and have realized how important it is to prioritize your walking regimen. As mentioned, walking and aging are closely related, and it depends on you how you want to age after the age of forty.

A study has found that people who walk slowly in their forties are more likely to age faster than the ones who walk more quickly. Researchers have found the right evidence to prove the scenario. They conducted a study and evaluated the participants on several parameters, only to find that people in their forties walking slowly is a significant indicator of fast aging. They have presented evidence that supports their findings. From their gut to gum health, everything starts to change when they walk slowly.

Pick up the pace. Shutterstock

39. The Bottom Line About Slow Walking

Slow walking is equal to no walking. You start walking to bring positive changes in your physical and mental health. Walking slowly can never get you the benefits you want. It is one of the practical exercises that can treat your body like nothing else.

Hence, it is crucial to remain true to your walking regimen to bring positive changes. It is quite evident that slow walking leads to fast aging because after a certain age, your muscles, bones, and cells start to weaken, and it requires a stimulating rejuvenation that comes with physical activity.

Working out regularly can reduce the risk of diabetes in middle-aged and older people. Shutterstock.

40. Just Give Walking a Try – You Will Notice the Difference

Walking slowly will bring no good to your health. Instead, it will make you age faster than you should. There are plenty of aging signs and symptoms that state our aging process is quite faster than the conventional rate. Never ignore such warnings and always remain vigilant about such changes, so that you can take charge of your health before things get worse.

If you understand the benefits of walking and want to enjoy them the most, then increase your walking pace at regular intervals. You can also use a treadmill to improve your walking pace. It is also advised to create a walking group because people tend to perform well when they are in a group. You can set group goals so that you can keep yourself motivated always. When it comes to your health, you should never ignore what your body tells you.

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