The Health Benefits of Walking
THE ‘i’ PAPER January 2024
Dr Angela Rai, a Private London GP at the London General Practice, contributes to an article outlining some of the health benefits of walking.
Just some of the ways in which a daily walk can benefit our health include:
- Stress reduction
- Improved heart health
- Better sleep
- Improved vision
- Boosting our immune system
- Improved bone and muscle strength
- Improved memory and cognitive function
Dr Rai also advises that regular walking has been linked to lower dementia risk with some studies showing that a regular walker can be as much as 50% less likely to develop dementia within seven years.
“Walking and aerobic exercise has a positive effect on the brain of healthy older people…while research has shown that people who do not exercise have some decline in their mental abilities in the long term.”
Adding a 20 minute daily walk to your routine can also help with balance and co-ordination. As we age a reduction in muscle mass and flexibility can impact our co-ordination. Walking helps to counteract this by increasing lower body strength and improving joint mobility.
To find out more about the benefits of regular walking read the full article below. If you are interested in finding out more about your overall health and would like to arrange a full health check with a private Harley Street GP then please get in touch with us here.