In our golden years, many of us focus more on getting comfortable and enjoying our lives, which is good. This is the reason we leverage technology to eliminate unnecessary stress in every way we can. However, some of the innovations that accompany technology are bittersweet.
The use of automobiles for one is gradually taking away the culture of walking from humans. It is important to know that relegating the place of walking as we age reduces our capacity to stay strong and agile.
Merely adding a 30 minute walk to your daily routine as you age will do wonders to your overall health. Click To TweetMerely adding a 30 minute walk to your daily routine as you age will do wonders to your overall health.
We have discussed things we need to know before walking in an earlier post. But today’s article will focus on the health benefits of walking as a senior citizen.
Reasons why walking should not be overlooked as we age
1. Walking improves heart health
The heart works 24/7 without stopping, so enhancing it is important. Walking trains the heart to be a more effective and efficient pump by strengthening the heart muscles. It clears the mind, reduces stress and boosts your mood. Leading a sedentary lifestyle as you age has been known to do more harm than good. This is why it is advisable to walk often to lighten up your mood and make your body healthier.
2. It slows down the aging process
A quote by J.R. Rim captures this aptly; “When we are young, we want to be old, when we are old, we want to be young and want things to go back to the way they were”. While it’s true that our health may not likely go back to the way it was when we were younger, we actually have the capacity to determine how things turn out. Simple lifestyle hacks can go a long way in speeding or slowing our aging process.
Simple lifestyle hacks can go a long way in speeding or slowing our aging process. Click To Tweet3. It reduces the risk of chronic diseases
Walking regularly lowers the risk of life threatening diseases such as; heart attack, cancer, high blood pressure and dementia. It also promotes stronger bones and muscles, weight management, reducing chronic inflammation, lower stress levels, and improving the strength and efficiency of our heart and blood vessels. These benefits of walking result in a lower risk of chronic diseases.
4.Walking reduces the risk of bone injuries
Many seniors are at risk of having falls and sustaining bone injuries because the bones become weaker with age. Such incidents can be avoided by simply walking. Since walking involves your feet and legs supporting your weight, your bones get a chance to work harder and this makes them stronger. With stronger bones, you can maintain good balance and minimize falls.
In conclusion, making the decision to deliberately engage in walks as you age may be one of the biggest investments you could make in your golden years. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been taking walks for a while, because walking is a low-impact exercise, simply placing one foot in front of the other does you a world of good.
