When most people think of walking as a hobby, they think of it as something that their grandparents did to stay healthy and fit.

However, there are many more benefits to walking than just staying fit and healthy. Walking as a regular activity can give you time to clear your head, improve your mood, reduce stress, strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints, and much more!

When you have walking in your daily routine, you will see an improvement in your life overall because of the changes that walking brings to your health and well-being!

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The benefits of walking as a regular activity

If you’re in the market for a new hobby that doesn’t require much equipment, walking may be the answer. If you want to lose weight, prevent heart disease, and live longer, walking is an excellent choice as well.

Walking as regular work is just as important as walking as exercise. Walking not only improves your health and well-being, but it also helps you meet new people and enjoy the natural beauty of your surroundings in a more intimate manner than other physical activities would allow you to do.

With this in mind, we’ve put together this list of benefits that walking has to offer. With that, you can have a better idea of what it can do for you and your life if you make walking your hobby instead of just adding it to your daily routine.

Walking is the easiest hobby

Walking is one of, if not THE easiest hobby or form of exercise out there. It’s free, you can do it anywhere, and it doesn’t require any equipment! Simply lace up your shoes and head out for some fresh air and sunshine.

The best part about walking? You can do it for hours on end without tiring yourself out, unlike other hobbies like running or swimming.

Walking is low-impact: Not only can you walk as a hobby, but when done correctly (i.e., take frequent breaks), walking has very little impact on your joints and body overall; in fact, when compared with other activities like running or cycling, walking burns just 5 percent more calories than sitting still!

Walking helps with mental health

Exercise is proven to help with our mental health, so it’s no surprise that walking often comes up as one of our favorite hobbies. If you want to improve your overall well-being, take some time each day to go for a walk and get fresh air. You might even find that being outdoors is relaxing enough on its own!

Studies have shown that walking can reduce depression, lower anxiety, and make us happier. People who walked regularly in their free time tended to be happier than those who did not walk or did other sports or physical activities. Walking is one of those hobbies which work for both mind and body, so you get good results from doing it.

Walk with friends

Walking is one of the best ways to clear your head, fight stress, and feel good. It’s low-impact and can be done almost anywhere. Many people even use walking as a leisure activity. The benefits of walking include burning calories, keeping your muscles strong, and helping you lose weight.

Whether you walk for fun or on business, it’s something everyone should try. Remember to always wear comfortable shoes and choose a good route for your walk with friends.

When walking with friends, people tend to talk and interact more than when they are walking alone. This can lead to many positive effects. People who have stressful jobs sometimes walk with their coworkers for support. As you interact with your friends on walks, you form strong bonds that help you become better at communicating overall.

If you work from home or from an office where there aren’t many interactions throughout your day, walking is a great way to break up your routine and make new connections.

There are many ways to add walking into your life. You can walk to work, take walks during lunch or even schedule regular walks with friends. It’s best to get into a routine that works for you and is something you will enjoy doing.

Challenge yourself

When it comes to walking, with me it was never about losing weight; it was about feeling more comfortable in my body and getting rid of the pain. Once you understand that exercise isn’t about looking or being better than someone else.

It’s just something you do for yourself. You start to really see your own power. And once you see your own power, you start living your life differently. You see every day as an opportunity to push yourself and grow stronger. You view everything around you through a new lens, seeing all of those things that can be improved upon.

When you recognize how much power you have over your own happiness, there’s no turning back!

Stay motivated with apps

There are plenty of apps out there to keep you moving.

No matter what your favorite device, there’s an app for that: If your new year’s resolution is to get more exercise, try an app such as Moves, Fitocracy or Pedometer++, Google Fitness, etc. which allows you to connect with friends and build fitness challenges into your daily routine.

The best part? They’re designed by top health professionals who know how to design workouts, so they remain fun—even after weeks on end. And don’t forget about getting Nike+. It includes a built-in activity tracker and boasts an active community of exercisers who can be supportive when you need it most.

Bottom line: Put technology in your corner—it will be there when you require it most.

Become more active in general

People often associate walking with exercise, but you can get even more health benefits out of it if you make it your primary form of transportation. This is especially true if you’re looking to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Think about how much time and money you spend on driving to work, errands, and getting food each week, and then consider how much money and free time you could save by walking (or biking) instead.

Walking is one of the effortless forms of physical exercise to occupy. There’s no special equipment required, you can do it anywhere, and you can practice almost anywhere, even on your lunch break. If you live in an urban area, chances are there are sidewalks everywhere; if not, then simply use back roads or well-lit areas at night.

It’s also an excellent way to do something positive for your health. Not only does walking improve your heart and lung health, it can help with weight loss, reduce risk of stroke and depression, lower blood pressure and strengthen bones.

Getting in shape and improving your health is a good enough reason to start walking. There are also other benefits that come from becoming an active, healthier person. These include increased productivity at work, better relationships with family and friends, lowered stress levels and improved sleep. Making these changes can be hard in isolation, but it’s much easier when you have support from loved ones and those who can help motivate you along the way.

Feel great after walking!

Just because walking is sometimes not considered as an exercise doesn’t mean it can’t make you feel great. Not only will you get a refreshing break from your day, but walking also releases endorphins that make you feel happy and healthy!

Plus, walking is convenient—it works best for anyone who has limited time on their hands. Whether you walk during your lunch break or while watching TV at night, there’s really no excuse not to walk more often!

If you’re interested in trying out some light exercises, but don’t want to spend a ton of time and money on going to yoga or pilates classes, walking might be a great alternative. It’s convenient—you can walk anytime, anywhere! And just because it’s considered an exercise doesn’t mean you have to sweat bullets during your workouts.

Regular walking improves cardiovascular fitness

Regular walking improves heart function, lowers blood pressure, and boosts HDL cholesterol levels. That’s one reason why people with high blood pressure are encouraged to walk regularly. If you need an extra nudge to start exercising more, consider these facts about walking: it’s inexpensive, easy to do (you can walk nearly anywhere), doesn’t require special equipment or facilities, and is simple to combine with other daily activities like running errands or commuting.

Moreover, The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity to protect against cardiovascular disease.

Try varying your walking routes. A study in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis found that people who walked regularly around their homes were more successful at maintaining their activity than those who did laps on a treadmill. If you live in an area with hills, incorporate them into your walk; if not, get creative. Regularly change the distance and pace of your walks to keep things interesting.

Improve social skills by walking

It’s easy to think that walking is only good for your physical health, but it has some surprising mental benefits, too. One study showed that walking in nature boosted optimism in employees who suffered from low energy and fatigue—two key symptoms of depression. Additionally, simply taking long walks can improve your social skills.

A study out of University College London shows that people who walked with other people have stronger connections to them than those who walk alone.

There is one common myth about walking, for instance, one common myth about walking is that it only counts toward exercise if you move quickly enough; however, research shows that slow and steady really does win in fitness.

The brain remains active through walking

According to psychologist John Ratey, the walking motion increases brain activity in areas responsible for memory and problem-solving by more than 50 percent compared to sitting. Research also indicates that walking is among the most powerful activities you can do to improve your brain health.

In one study from Stanford University, sedentary people who began an exercise program experienced improved spatial memory within just nine weeks.

Studies also show that walking increases blood flow to areas of your brain, helping with concentration and cognitive performance. It’s also an excellent way to boost your mood and relieve stress.

Walking to build muscles

Even if you’re not looking to lose weight, walking is an excellent way to build muscle and tone your body. And research has shown that it may also help improve your memory.

Keep in mind that walking builds muscles best when it’s at least 30 minutes long—and really more like 45 or 60 minutes. If you have trouble fitting walking into your daily routine, consider doing a workout DVD as part of your normal schedule and just make time for short walks in between errands.

Walking promotes sleep

Walking has been shown to promote deep sleep and, therefore, better quality sleep. This is beneficial for our health because poor sleep habits are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.

If you want to get serious about exercise, then walking might not give you optimal results (at least compared to other activities like swimming). But if you just want a quick way to work out regularly without over-stressing your body, then walking may be one of your best options!

If you’re feeling tired, walking may be able to help; one study found that walking for twenty minutes per day could improve sleep by nearly half an hour each night.

It prevents depression

Walking is good for your health and also helps prevent depression. When you’re depressed, exercise is often pushed to an afterthought.

However, exercise has been proven to lift depression and help you live better. For mild depression, walking for thirty minutes three times per week can be enough to make people feel better. The real key is consistency – so try to aim for regular walks each week, even if it’s only ten minutes at first.

A regular walking routine helps regulate your hormones and neurotransmitters, reducing stress and boosting your mood. Plus, your brain is less likely to fixate on negative thoughts when you’re feeling active and positive.

It improves blood circulation

Contrary to popular belief, walking is not just for losing weight. It also improves blood circulation, which helps with other aspects of our health. Improved blood circulation reduces the risk for developing strokes and heart attacks, and improves respiratory health by getting more oxygen into your bloodstream.

Studies have shown that people who walk at least an hour each day have increased levels of antioxidants (such as vitamin C) in their bodies. Walking has also been linked to better sleep patterns because it promotes relaxation.

Walking lowers blood pressure

If you can get in your 10,000 steps each day, walking is going to improve your health. One review study found that walking lowered blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels.

Walking also contributes to greater longevity among adults who walk at least four hours per week. In fact, walkers live an average of five years longer than non-walkers!

Walking reduces your chance of early death: In terms of longevity, another study found that walkers had a lower risk of dying during any given year than non-walkers. Those who walked at least 90 minutes per week cut their risk by more than 50 percent.

Walking boosts energy

Walking provides health benefits and an energy boost to those who do it regularly. The exercise increases our heart rate and respiration levels, which can then lower our resting pulse. This is just one way walking can make us feel more invigorated at home or at work.

The Healthline explains that walking for only 30 minutes every day could benefit people with high blood pressure; furthermore, cardiologists report that regular walks could help prevent heart attacks.

Walking prevents osteoporosis

As we get older, our bones become more fragile and prone to breakage. Walking is one of our best natural defenses against osteoporosis. Regular walking helps rebuild bones, making them denser and more resilient over time.

When combined with other preventive strategies like taking calcium supplements and getting enough vitamin D, regular walking can help keep your bones healthy for life. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that everyone—men and women, young and old—should include weight-bearing exercise (walking) into their daily routine.

Weight-bearing exercise is any activity that requires you to work against gravity by using some or all of your body weight as resistance such as walking, hiking, jogging or stair climbing; even gardening qualifies if you are stooping and stretching frequently! Keep in mind that 30 minutes per day should be part of your routine.

Walking increases self-esteem

An unexpected benefit of walking is that it increases self-esteem. As you walk, your body’s cells begin to release endorphins that help reduce stress and anxiety, which can have an impact on your mood and self-image. Walking is one activity that has been shown to improve both physical and mental health.

Walking can help you feel more relaxed, energized, and motivated. These feelings will help improve your relationships with other people and make you more productive at work.

Walking improves mood and increases self-esteem because it gives you an opportunity to clear your mind and focus on something positive, which is especially important for dealing with stress.

Wrapping things up

If you’re like most people, you don’t have time to work out or exercise every day. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be active. In fact, if you have 30 minutes or less to devote each day to your health and fitness, walking is one of your best options for staying healthy and living longer.

Once you take walking as a hobby, you will start to find amazing impacts on your health for sure!

So go ahead, get walking!