10 reasons to walk for
10 minutes everyday
If you look on social media, you’ll be inundated with images and videos to get fitter and healthier. The underlying message for us to be more active is great. Perhaps those sharing their exercise advice and personal tips have inspired you. Or perhaps you’re one of the many who can feel so overwhelmed with the advice and suggestions, it’s hard to know where to start.
I’m going to suggest one very simple exercise to do that is manageable, free, takes little skill, and isn’t time consuming. A 10 minute daily walk. That’s it. If you compare it to the intense workouts you might see online it won’t seem like much, but doing this consistently has HUGE benefits.
Aids Digestion, Reduces bloating
It might sound very Dickensian, but an after-supper stroll can do wonders for our digestion. Going for a post meal walk, for just 10 minutes, can help reduce bloating and improve digestion. If you do it after each usual main meal, that’s 3 x 10 minute walks which means you get in your 30 minutes of daily activity with these short exercise “snacks”!
If you have belching, flatulence, or a gurgling stomach, it could be something called Aerophagia (due to excessive gulping of air). I came across a study that suggested walking whilst slightly looking down and with your hands clasped behind your back might be helpful!
Improves bone health
In order to strengthen our bones we need to load through them. That means swimming and cycling, although brilliant forms of exercise with many benefits, are not enough alone to improve our bone health. We need to put weight through them which is where walking is helpful. It’s even been shown that a 10 minute walk can be helpful for knee osteoarthritis (the common arthritis that a lot of us get). Although it seems counterintuitive, putting more stress through a painful joint (in a controlled and gradual way) can eventually help to reduce overall pain and improve mobility. This is due to strengthening of the muscles surrounding the joint, gradual weight loss from being more active which takes pressure off of the joint, and through reduced fear of potential pain when you realise that movement helps and doesn’t damage your joint.
Reduces stress and anxiety
When you’re in the midst of a stressful situation or feeling very overwhelmed, the usual self care strategies can feel too much. A seated meditation, going to the gym, having a bath…all great, but to actually do them can feel like a heck of a task. Keeping it simpler by just taking yourself out for a quick, convenient 10 minute walk can be amazing for stress and anxiety. It’s even been suggested that as soon as 5 minutes into a walk the benefits can be felt. If going for a walk for the sake of going for a walk still feels too much, use it as an excuse to do an errand. Walk to the shop to pick up some milk, or go out to get a takeaway coffee. You’ll be amazed how something so quick and simple can give your mind a huge amount of breathing space.
Improve blood pressure and Heart health
I’ve put two benefits into one here. 10 minute brisk walks can be a huge relief for our blood pressure. It helps to improve the mobility of our blood vessels and improve the ability of our heart (which is a muscle) to circulate blood around our body with less effort. So hence our blood pressure can lower. For this effect, it is optimal to aim for 3 x brisk 10 minute walks per day to get maximum results. If you’re not sure, start with just 1 x 10 minute walks and with time you’ll build more confidence and exercise tolerance to increase it.
Improves muscle strength
It’s quite simple to be honest. If we don’t use it, we lose it. That really does apply to our muscles. If we don’t use them regularly, our brain assumes we don’t need them so starts to adapt to this by reducing muscle size and length. By simply getting out for 10 minutes and stretching those legs, our brain remembers how helpful it is to have strong flexible muscles. The stronger our muscles are, the more able we are to do the very basic of activities of daily living, such as going to the shops, or getting out of bed in the morning. It also helps to reduce the risk of falling as we get older which can be in part due to muscle weakness.
Increases concentration and productivity
If you’ve got a deadline to hit, whether at home or at work, taking a break can feel like the least productive thing to do. Especially if you’re in a rhythm. However, a lot of us feel like we’re in a flow or rhythm but actually, we’re responding much slower than we realise. Taking a very short 10 minute walk can be an excellent way to get a mental break and regroup. It helps you to get more clarity on a situation and so you can make quicker, more optimal decisions once you return to the task.
vitamin d exposure and better sleep
Another two in one here. It’s been suggested that getting outside, particularly if you can get outside in the mornings, can not only expose us to essential Vitamin D but also improve our circadian rhythms. Firstly, Vitamin D is an essential nutrient our body needs to function as it should. The sun provides us with this much needed vitamin, even if it’s hiding behind a cloud. Vitamin D is needed for bone health, our immune system and has a role in reducing inflammation. Circadian rhythms are the natural clocks we all have to help us with basic functions such as appetite and sleep. By going outside for a walk, we can help to keep this natural rhythm and so when it’s night time and time to sleep, our body is ready for it and we can get a good night’s rest.
It's Free!
A very important reason for taking up a daily 10 minute walk, is that it’s free. No monthly fee required. So why not add this convenient little habit to your self care today.