How many times have you read that walking is going to make a big difference to your health? Probably a lot, and it’s because it does. Walking – believe it or not – has amazing benefits for your health. Not all of those benefits are physical, either. There are plenty of mental and emotional benefits to walking, and it’s one of the biggest reasons that any doctor or therapist will tell you to do more walking as a way to get fit and healthy.

You may have had conversations with your physician about help with medical weight loss before, but while you wait for help there are things that you can do to get proactive about your health and one of those things is, you guessed it, walking! With that in mind, let’s take a look at how walking can improve your health drastically.

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1. An Emotional Release. You may not believe it, but walking can be a huge emotional release. Built up stress goes away much faster when you are burning calories, and walking can help you to do that. It helps you to let go of tension and gets you out of the house, too, so you can breathe some fresh air in big lungfuls. There’s nothing more soothing than a power walk when you’re frustrated.
2. Improving Your Brain. Walking can improve your brain on a biochemical level. You’ll feel more at ease, relaxed and happier and all because you went for a walk.
3. Good Weight Loss. It’s not the only goal, but it’s definitely one to consider. Weight loss, when needed, is important for your overall health. The more you walk, the more you burn. When you burn calories, the weight will come off and you will feel more confident, more focused and less sluggish day to day.
4. Better Muscle Tone. When you spend time walking, you spend time building your muscles and strengthening your core. Your legs are made up of some pretty big muscles, and if you want them to tone up and improve their look, then a walk can do you a world of good.
5. Walking Is Therapy. There are so many walking groups that you can join to socialize, make new friends and get the chance to get the world’s ills off your chest. A problem shared is a problem halved, after all, and with the right walking group, you can gain a ton of support that you didn’t even know was out there.
6. Start Your Day Right. When you start your day with a walk early in the morning, you start your day right. You get your blood pumping, your skin smarting and your hair windblown with a good strong walk first thing in the day. It’s a great way to start with your heart going and gives you an adrenaline rush for a productive day.