14 Benefits of Walking for Just 15 Minutes

 Walking is great for weight loss, but the benefits go far beyond—from higher energy and better mood to stress relief, creativity boost, and more.

Walking benefit: Happiness

Whether you’re just having a down day or a down life, taking a walk can lift your mood—especially when you go outdoors, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study participants who averaged 150 minutes of moderate exercise (golf, tennis, aerobics classes, swimming, or line-dancing) or 200 minutes of walking every week reported higher energy levels, better emotional health, and a more robust social life when researchers followed up after three years. Find out exactly how long you should walk if you want a mood boost.

Walking benefit: Off-the-charts creativity

Stumped for an idea? Take a quick stroll around the block. Whether you need a solution to a problem at work or you’re looking for inspiration for your novel, walking is a good exercise to get your creative juices flowing in all areas. One Stanford University study found that walking can boost creative output by 60 percent. The same results were found for both indoor and outdoor workouts, and the creative boost lasted after the walk itself.

Walking benefit: Fewer asthma flares

You don’t need to avoid exercise if you have experienced exercise-induced asthma. You just need to find the right exercise in the right conditions. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says walking, along with swimming, golfing and leisure biking, is less likely to irritate your airways. More generally, look for activities you can do in warm weather and which don’t require significant endurance. Learn the speed you should walk to breathe in less pollution.

Walking benefit: Metabolism to the max

Metabolic syndrome—the evil trifecta of increased blood pressure/cholesterol, high blood sugar, and fat around your waist—is one of the worst side effects of our sedentary lifestyle. It signals diabetes, heart disease, and even early death. But we have an old-fashioned cure to this modern-day disease: exercise. One study published in the Nigerian Medical Journal found that the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome decreased by 29 percent simply by walking over an hour a day. Here are 16 more ways to channel the benefits of walking into weight-loss.

Walking benefit: Extra. Years.

Want to live longer? Walk. But speed things up to get the longevity benefit. According to the Mayo Clinic, research has shown that brisk walking can increase your lifespan, more so than those who had a slower pace. Just make sure you’re not making any of these common walking mistakes so you can keep putting your best foot forward.

Walking benefit: Cash in the bank

Fitness can be pricey! Money for a gym membership, home exercise equipment, workout clothes, and shoes adds up fast. But it doesn’t have to. Walking requires absolutely nothing—even shoes are optional!—but still provides great health benefits. And not only does it save you money on things, it also saves you money in healthcare. According to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, those who exercised regularly saved mega dollars when it came to healthcare costs compared to those who didn’t meet the minimum weekly exercise requirements (30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five days a week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity three days a week).

Walking benefit: Zzzzzzzzzz….

Getting a solid eight hours snoozing in the sack is one of the most important things you can do for your health. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. Thankfully a brisk walk may be all you need. According to the Sleep Foundation, researchers have found that people who exercised regularly, including walking, fell asleep more quickly, slept longer, and had better quality sleep than those who did vigorous exercise or lifted weights.

Walking benefit: Keep calm and carry on

Raise your hand if you’re stressed out. OK, OK, put both your hands back down. Most of us swim in a pool of stress every day and that takes a serious toll on our mental and physical health.  But science says walking is one of the fastest, most effective ways to calm down. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, a simple 10-minute walk may be as effective as a 45-minute workout in terms of reducing anxiety and depression. Moving clears cortisol, the “stress hormone”, out of your system and also helps stop the never-ending stream of worries going through your mind. Here are tricks for getting the most happiness out of your walk.

Walking benefit: Banish brain drain

It’s official: Walking is also good for your brain. Researchers at New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) discovered that when you walk, your foot’s impact on the ground sends pressure waves through the arteries that increase blood flow to the brain. Even better, walking protects your brain by lessening your risk of getting cognitive illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. 

Walking benefit: Drug-free painkiller

Chronic pain has been called a silent epidemic, with an estimated 100 million Americans currently living with it. And if you’re one of those people battling daily pain the last thing you probably want to do is get up and go for a walk. But a study published in the Annals of Rehabilitative Medicine found that a regular walking routine diminished chronic lower back pain in study participants. Walking may not be able to cure chronic pain, but it can help you deal with it better.

Walking benefit: Beefed-up bones

Bone density may not be one of the most exciting health benefits of walking, but it’s an important one. People with stronger bones avoid osteoporosis and all the problems that come with it like fractures, disability, and spine shrinkage (seriously, you can get shorter). And the best way to get strong, healthy bones is by doing weight-bearing exercises like running, dancing and, yes, walking, says the American Bone Health Association. Researchers found that walking programs that lasted more than six months were associated with “significant and positive effects” in bone density of the hip bone.

Walking benefit: X-Ray vision

OK, so maybe you won’t have the ability to see through walls but you can protect your vision as you age by taking a daily walk, according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers found that people who did regular aerobic activity had healthier eyeballs and were less likely to suffer from problems like retinal degeneration and age-related vision loss. So even if you aren’t Superman, you’ll still have super sight.

Walking benefit: Quality time with loved ones

Taking a walk alone can be great for clearing your head or blowing off some steam but walking can also provide a great opportunity to bond with friends and family—far away from electronics and other distractions at home. Even better, you set a powerful example because when they see you reaping the benefits of walking, they’ll be encouraged to walk more, too.  Try these walking workouts that will keep your walking group interesting.

Walking benefit: Free miracle drug

Exercise in general, and walking in particular, has been referred to as a “miracle drug” for its ability to lower risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Let’s be honest, there doesn’t seem to be a single health condition that it can’t help in some way. And unlike real drugs, walking has no side effects, is easily accessible, affordable, effective, and best of all you don’t need a prescription!

Most common mistakes in online workouts that cause pain or injury

 Most common mistakes in online workouts that cause pain or injury

Virtual workouts have become increasingly popular due to Covid-19 restrictions. Online sessions allow you to bring your workout with you wherever you are, a convenience hitting the gym can't offer. However, without an in-person trainer or fitness instructor by your side, it can be easy to misinterpret the proper form for a new move.

In many group classes or workouts, the instructor keeps his or her eye on you and yells out corrections or modifications. Or maybe you're used to fitness equipment, like an elliptical or an ab machine, that keeps your form somewhat honest.

When it comes to virtual workouts, though, all you've got is you and your body without much to keep you in check. To enhance success in the world of virtual fitness, there are a few factors to take into consideration. First, make sure you are immersed in the workout. Those who exercise with a virtual coach are more motivated and present throughout their workout than those who work out on their own, studies have shown.

Dedication to improving yourself also helps. Intrinsic motivation, which involves doing something without knowledge of a reward, improves performance and efficiency levels, according to research. If you remain motivated throughout the virtual workout, you'll be more likely to double-check each move for accuracy.

Even so, there are some common exercises that can all too easily be done with incorrect form and lead to unnecessary pain, improper muscle build and even injury. So what are some key mistakes to look out for? Read on to find out.

Lunges

What to avoid: Maintaining proper form while in lunge position can be tricky. Many people don't realize that they aren't creating a full 90-degree angle with their legs. It's also common to lean forward while lunging, allowing your knee to surpass your forward-facing foot.

Get it right: To avoid these common mistakes, look at your form in a full-length mirror and make sure you are creating as close to a 90-degree angle as possible while keeping your knee aligned with your foot.

Bicep curl

What to avoid: This move seems simple -- and it is -- but it's more about form than the amount of weight being lifted. So many of my clients do them incorrectly without realizing. When performing this move without a trainer critiquing your form, it's easy to slouch your back backward while lifting. Some people will move their hips, bringing the weights all the way up to touch their shoulders and allowing their elbows to leave their sides.

Get it right: This move is much simpler than that. If you're doing a bicep curl correctly, only your hands and forearms should be in motion. First, stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart while you look straight ahead. Hold your dumbbells straight down, near your thighs. While keeping your elbows at your sides, lift the weights with just your forearms. Make sure to tighten your biceps and feel the burn. Finally, release and repeat.

Plank

What to avoid: Doing planks is a common exercise, but it's hard to master, especially without a trainer telling you to lift your core or adjust your arm position. Because planks require self-discipline while alone, they frequently aren't performed correctly, which could hurt your progress. I see a lot of people slouching their stomachs or arching their backs, which could ultimately lead to injury.

Get it right: The mistakes I see the most, however, are easy to fix. First, make sure you're horizontally in the air with the length of your body lifted off the floor. Press your hands or forearms into the floor as you raise your body using your toes. With your heels in the air, squeeze your core and glutes for the most effective burn. Keep the shoulders over the wrists, and pull the navel in toward the spine to keep the back flat.

Jump squats

What to avoid: When performing a jump squat, many people don't fully start from a squatting position. Instead, they tend to use just their ankles to jump up. People also tend to land with their legs straight or on the flats of their feet. This can cause injury and even instant pain upon landing.

Get it right: Instead, lower down into the squat position with your hips and knees pushed back and then land with a soft bend in your knees.

The new year is a perfect time to start prioritizing your health, and virtual workouts are a great way to start. With the challenge of not having an in-person trainer, however, be mindful to adhere to proper form and vigilant about tackling mistakes as they arise. Next time you're performing your virtual workout, keep these tips in mind. If you remain motivated to improve, you'll find yourself becoming more aware of your own mistakes.

Obesity? Heart Disease? Diabetes? Cancer? Maybe it’s not your genes–it’s your lifestyle

For so long, we’ve been conditioned to think our genes are rigid and unchangeable; and they alone define our health and longevity. We expect chronic disease to be treated like the common cold. Take a pill and go back to work.

You can’t fix obesity or diabetes with a pill; some pills (like statin drugs) actually raise your risk of developing diabetes or having a heart attack, and if you consume the typical American diet that consists of over one hundred pounds of refined white sugar and corn syrup per year—you are actually enabling diabetes. And for diabetics who have been conditioned to think diet sodas and artificial sugar will keep your blood sugar stable—think again. Sugar substitutes are toxic chemicals that kill your nerves. Literally—it excites them to death.

We have been deliberately conditioned to look to someone outside ourselves for answers—when all we really need to do is look within. In ancient times, we had our tribe, our family, and our community. We passed our inherited knowledge from generation to generation, and everything that brought us joy, that healed us, that made us wiser and stronger—is encoded within our DNA. We must simply remember.

If you’re old enough to remember the incredibly popular “Marlboro Man” television advertisement campaign (1955-1999), you remember those smokin’ hot cowboys—that showed us that filtered cigarettes weren’t just for martini sipping housewives. When the ads first appeared in 1955, sales were $5 billion. Two years later, they were $20 billion. If you remember, those scientific studies on safety of smoking, conducted by none other than the same Phillip Morris tobacco company who sold the cigarettes—“PROVED” that smoking didn’t cause lung cancer. Of course, the studies were scientific– those trusted nighttime news anchors that reported the results wouldn’t lie to us. And then five of the cowboy ad “hunks” died of cancer and smoking related lung diseases. There were six total. Cigarettes became known as the “Cowboy Killers.” And maybe—just maybe the science was a little skewed—since the tobacco company had a huge stake in the outcome. And then we learned that even second hand smoke was bad for us. Remember coming home from a restaurant and your clothes and hair smelled like an ashtray?

But we learned our lesson didn’t we? We no longer blindly believe pseudo science, paid for and conducted by tobacco companies to sell us cancer-causing cigarettes; or pharmaceutical companies to sell us cancer drugs that give us cancer; or foods laden with pesticides that poison our gut. We learned right? And after all, we now have legit TV doctors to explain the latest research so we can trust the validity of new drugs and food safety.

We. Learned. Right?

The study of immunology is relatively new. Just a couple decades ago—no one understood the importance of the gut micro biome in the prevention of chronic disease. You could say the greatest predictor of true immune system health is the state of the gut. Trust it! The antibodies in your immune system contain the memory of all the diseases that your ancestors overcame. Everything you need to know is already inside you—made possible by the evolution of cellular DNA memory and your mother’s breast milk.

What thousands of epigenetic studies have taught us, is that merely possessing a specific gene, does not guarantee the expression of it. Telomeres are DNA pieces at the end of chromosomes that act as protective end caps. Every time a cell divides, the chromosome end cap gets shorter. Once a chromosome gets too short, it dies. This process has been associated with rapid aging and death. We now have the science to   show that people who consistently maintain high levels of physical activity have significantly longer telomeres than those with a sedentary lifestyle. High physical activity gives you a biological aging advantage of nine years over those who are sedentary!  (Study listed below)

Lifestyle choices can engage our cells to perform at their peak. All of us can consciously choose to engage in behaviors that enable our genes to heal us, not harm us.

In the words of Deepak Chopra and Rudi Tanzi:
“You will always have the genes you were born with, but genes are dynamic, responding to everything we think, say, and do. Suddenly they’ve become our strongest allies for personal transformation. When you make lifestyle choices that optimize how your genes behave, you can reach for a state of health and fulfillment undreamed of even a decade ago. The impact on prevention, immunity, diet, aging, and chronic disorders is unparalleled.” (From the book, Super Genes, link below—highly recommend)  

Resources

http://www.whatisepigenetics.com/what-is-epigenetics/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/672

http://time.com/4776345/exercise-aging-telomeres/