Walking is one of the most underrated forms of activities and to show you how beneficial it is, I’m going to back this up with scientific studies.
Not only is walking great for weight management, it’s also great for your overall health, meaning that if you hit a number of steps per day, you are extending your life expectancy.
Here are five ways in which walking can help prevent your risk of disease.
1). Walking Reduces Risk of Premature Mortality
Let’s start with the study by Paluch et al (2022) who looked at daily steps and all-cause mortality.
You can see from the graph that walking under 3000 steps each day (equivalent to 30 min walk) will increase your risk of death from all causes.
For adults aged 60 years and older, they found the risk of mortality decreased with increasing step count until reaching 6000–8000 steps per day.
For adults younger than 60 years, the risk decreased until reaching 8000–10,000 steps per day.
To summarise, they found that people who took more steps have a lower risk of dying prematurely than those who take fewer steps.
2). Walking and Diabetes Risk Reduction
Previous research has shown that being more physically active, especially with moderate-to-vigorous activities, can lower the risk of diabetes.
However, Cuthbertson, et al (2022) wanted to understand if just the number of steps a person takes each day (regardless of how intense those steps are) also has an impact on diabetes risk.
They looked at data from over 6600 adults who were part of a study called the Hispanic Community over a period of 6 years.
The study found that taking more steps each day was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes.
Specifically, for every additional 1000 steps taken per day, there was a 2% lower risk of diabetes.
But here is the interesting part – spending more time walking briskly was linked to a significant reduction in diabetes risk.
Adults who walked briskly for 17 minutes or more per day had a 31% lower risk of diabetes compared to those who spent less than 2 minutes per day walking briskly.
Strategic Timing of Walking for Blood Sugar Control
In another study, Pahra et al, (2017) looked at comparing the impact of two different exercise routines on managing blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
64 people with type 2 diabetes were involved in the study.
Group A: did short exercises (like brisk walking) for 15 minutes after each meal for 60 days, then switched to a longer 45-minute walk before breakfast for the next 60 days.
Group B: They did the opposite, starting with the longer walk before breakfast for 60 days, then switched to short exercises after meals for 60 days.
Blood sugar levels were measured five times a day, and HbA1c (a marker of blood sugar control over time) was measured at the beginning, middle, and end of the study.
Here is what they found:
Group A: saw significant improvements in blood sugar levels and HbA1c with post-meal exercises, but the benefits decreased when they switched to the longer morning walk.
Group B: also had better blood sugar control with post-meal exercises compared to the longer morning walk.
Overall, post-meal exercises showed more consistent benefits in controlling blood sugar levels compared to the longer morning walk.
What this study showed is that walking after meals seems to be more effective for controlling blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes compared to a single longer walk each day.
This is really great news for people who struggle to find time to do one long walk and can instead split walks up into manageable chunks.
3) Walking and Reduced Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Research by Schneider et al, (2021) looked at how physical activity, measured by wrist accelerometers, is linked to the risk of liver disease.
They looked at data from the UK Biobank, which included information from almost 100,000 participants who wore wrist accelerometers to track their physical activity.
These participants were followed for about 5.5 years to see if there was any connection between their activity levels and the development of liver disease.
People who were more physically active had a lower risk of developing chronic liver disease (CLD) and a specific type called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Increasing daily steps by 2,500 was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of both CLD and NAFLD, even after accounting for factors like body weight.
Among those who already had liver disease, higher physical activity was linked to a much lower risk of liver-related death and overall mortality.
Increasing steps by 2,500 also showed a significant reduction in the progression of liver disease.
The study suggests that being more physically active is linked to a lower risk of developing liver disease, and this link seems to hold regardless of a person’s weight.
It’s estimated that 1 in 5 of us have Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease without even knowing.
I wrote a blog covering the symptoms and how this can be prevented here.
5) Elevated Mood and Mental Health Through Walking
Walking not only benefits physical health but also enhances mental well-being.
Yuenyongchaiwat 2016, looked at how walking 10,000 steps a day for 12 weeks affected the physical and mental health of overweight people.
Those who completed the 10,000 steps had lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion compared to before they started.
They also had higher levels of energy.
Physically, they had lower body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage.
Overall, increasing physical activity through walking improved both physical and mood states in sedentary, overweight individuals.
Additionally, Noetel et al, 2024 aimed to figure out the best type and amount of exercise for treating major depressive disorder, compared to traditional treatments like therapy and medication.
They looked at a bunch of different studies and found that activities like walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training were particularly helpful for reducing depression.
These exercises seemed to work better when they were more intense.
Plus, they were generally well-liked by the people doing them.
Overall, they think exercise could be an important part of treating depression, alongside therapy and medication.
Short and Long Term Benefits of Activity on Brain Health
The benefits of physical activity on brain health manifest in two distinct ways: immediately following a session (acute effect) and through regular engagement (habitual effect).
Immediately after moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, individuals experience a reduction in state anxiety, improved sleep quality, and enhanced cognitive function.
This acute effect provides a near-instantaneous boost to mental well-being.
With consistent physical activity over time, the habitual effect becomes evident.
Traits like long-term anxiety diminish, deep sleep becomes more restorative.
Also, planning, organisation, behavioural monitoring, task initiation, and emotional regulation—improve significantly (source).
Summary
Walking offers an excellent avenue for physical activity, particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with overweight issues or mobility constraints.
Numerous studies highlight its efficacy in managing arthritis-related pain and even preventing the onset of arthritis when practiced consistently, with research suggesting that walking five to six miles per week can be particularly beneficial.
By lubricating the joints and strengthening supportive muscles, walking serves as a protective measure, especially for the knees and hips, which are prone to osteoarthritis.
Additionally, for individuals experiencing perimenopausal symptoms and lacking the energy for high-intensity exercises, daily walks provide a manageable yet effective means of staying active and promoting overall well-being.
Next steps
Ultimately, I’m sure you know all of above but probably are struggling with your health if you’re reading this.
If you need help taking the next steps, I’m here to help.
You can either book in with me for a no obligation chat which is free here.
Or if you’d like to have some more tips, why not download my free guide 5 Secrets to Fat Loss here.
