Five wellness reasons to walk
Let's get moving!
We all know walking can aid weight loss and tone muscles; however, there’s a whole heap of other benefits too. Here are five more reasons to consider a hiking holiday.
1. Walking can help clear your mind
According to a California State University study, walking releases natural painkilling endorphins – which means ‘clears the head’ in simple English.
2. You might live longer
The University of Michigan Medical School and the Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System found that regular exercisers are 35 per cent less likely to pass away in the next eight years when compared with non-walkers.
3. Walking can boost creativity
Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, was known for his walking meetings. As was Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. A recent study by Stanford researchers has found that creative thinking improves while a person is walking.
4. Walking can slow mental decline
A University of California study found that those who walked more had a lower age-related memory decline. The study of 6,000 women (aged 65 and over) found that women who walked four kilometres a day had a 17 per cent decline in memory compared to a 25 per cent decline in women who walked less than one kilometre per week.
5. Heart health
Walking briskly can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes (all risk factors for heart disease) as much as running according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study.
Image: The 12 Apostles Lodge Walk
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