The Benefits of Walking 30 Minutes a Day

With a full work schedule and taking care of your family, it can be hard to fit in a daily workout. Fortunately, you don’t have to join a gym or train for a marathon to be healthy. Walking is by far the easiest way to get exercise daily and it doesn’t cost a dime. You don’t even have to walk miles to get the health benefits from walking. Sounds unbelievable, right? It’s not—here are a few benefits of walking 30 minutes per day.

Natural Antidepressant
Feeling a bit blue? Take a walk! A regular walking routine will improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression. If you are felling anxious or stressed, take a walk! Walking outdoors also exposes you to sunlight, which can help in the winter for those that experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Creativity
If you are looking for a solution to a difficult problem or just need to get your creative juices flowing, take a walk. Walking can help spark creativity while burning a few calories. 

Low-Impact
If you’re out of shape, walking is the easiest way to get back into an exercise routine. You can modify your pace as needed or stick to flat terrain until you increase your endurance.

Regularity
If you experience constipation, activity can help get things moving in your digestive tract.  Regular walking will keep things flowing better and will keep abdominal bloat at bay. 

Great Legs and Butt
Walking is mostly a lower body workout. You can engage more leg and butt muscles by walking up hills and stairs. Not only will this burn more calories, you’ll start to see more muscle development in your legs and backside. You can get an upper body workout while walking as well. Use hiking poles or hand weights in your walk to help engage the arm and abs.

Stick to Goals
Getting into a regular 30-minute walking routine is an easy goal to attain. Once you get started and stick with it, you’ll start making other goals. But, for beginners, sticking to a 30-minute daily exercise routine is an easy fitness goal to commit to without a lot of investment. When stick to a routine, you are more likely to continue with the activity and take on new healthy behaviors.