It is no wonder that emphasizing daily movement is one of the most powerful ways to lead a thriving, longer, and healthier life. Even if it is a quick 15 to 20-minute “exercise snack,” making room for physical activities you genuinely enjoy engaging in your everyday routine can bring tremendous benefits to your overall health. Enter—walking!

From making your heart happier and lowering your risk of chronic disease to building resilience and supporting immune function, walking is a vital part of a healthful lifestyle and a costless, delightful way to unwind mind, body, and beyond. So whether you decide to hop on your walking shoes and walk to work, pair up with a hiking club, or join a friend on a strolling date, the gift of getting your muscles moving, blood flowing, and mind brighten up is immense! In particular, walking is a beautiful path to softening and relaxing from the inside out, embracing the alfresco, and fostering a more profound sense of connection and well-being. Below are six things you can expect when you make walking a part of your day-to-day regime:

Enhanced Breathing Awareness

Nasal breathing (or breathing through your nose) is crucial when you walk, especially if you live in a big, tumultuous city. Because the nose is designed to help you filter out pollen, pathogens, pollution, and allergens in the environment, proper breathing helps in keeping these away from the lungs and enables you to breathe more safely and effectively. 

Also, nose breathing can revamp oxygen circulation and uptake thanks to the nitric oxide released during the breath by widening the blood vessels and increasing airflow to arteries, veins, and nerves.

Lesser Joint Pain

Research suggests that walking may lower arthritis-related pain by lubricating and caring for the joints (hips and knees included) and supporting the muscles that keep them healthy and mobile. 

Better Immune Function

Walking might help you keep a cold at bay due to its ability to amp up the immune system by raising the number of immune cells that attack pathogens in the organism. In addition, it helps strengthen antibodies by reducing inflammation and encouraging white blood cells in the immune system to wander around the body as needed.

Mood Booster

When it comes to sparking creativity and supercharging your mood, moving the body is (almost) always a fantastic idea. This exercise-induced growth in blood circulation to the brain can result in better reactivity to stress or negative mood as well as improved self-esteem, cognitive function, and perceived energy levels.

Muscle Toner

Legs and glutes are some of the primary body parts to profit from a regular, consistent jaunt. However, consider walking on a hill, climbing stairs, or increasing speed as you walk to assist those slow-twitch muscle fibers in building up more strength.

Lower Blood Pressure

Frequent walks are a magnificent step toward a sunnier, stronger heart by reducing blood vessel stiffness and allowing blood to flow more efficiently and effectively through the body. And because the heart does not have to perform as hard to pump blood, it is a great, adequate option to ease hypertension and lower blood pressure in general.