Great for: Regulating Circadian Rhythm and Improving Sleep “Morning is the ideal time to walk for better sleep and more energy because exposure to morning light triggers a surge of cortisol, the alert hormone, which helps you feel energized,” says certified pediatric and adult sleep consultant Kelly Murray.
Walking in the morning can boost energy levels, improve mood, and enhance focus for the day ahead. It may also help regulate sleep patterns and metabolism. Walking in the evening can aid in stress relief and digestion after meals.
Researchers say exercising between 7–9 a.m. is best for weight management. Morning exercisers had a lower body mass index and waist circumference than those exercising later. Experts say better sleep, mental health, brain health, and physiological health are also important benefits of exercise.
Walking for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. If you can't manage 30 minutes a day, remember even short walks more frequently can be beneficial. Walking with others can turn exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.
Key takeaways: Walking after eating may be even better for your health than walking at other times of the day. It has been shown to aid digestion, lower blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Even a short 10- to 15-minute walk after every meal can be beneficial.
Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily habits, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.
Seniors should aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, similar to younger adults. This translates to walking around 3 to 4 kilometers daily, spread over the week. Regular walking helps in managing chronic conditions, improving balance, and enhancing mental health.
Yes—when it comes to building your glutes while walking, it's all about the incline. If you're on a treadmill, “anything above a five percent grade is going to target the glutes much more than a lower incline [or flat surface],” says Matty.
Popular fitness trackers and pedometers encourage people to take 10,000 steps per day, and one 2016 study agrees that 10,000 steps are ideal. This works out to roughly 5 miles of walking. People interested in walking for weight loss should consistently hit at least 10,000 steps each day.
Based on an average step length of 2 1/2 feet, 10,000 steps is roughly equal to 5 miles. However, due to factors such as your height and walking speed, this number can vary. Online calculators can help determine how many miles you'll cover in 10,000 steps.
Along with Vitamin D, morning walks on an empty stomach can support overall wellness, improve metabolism, enhance mood, and promote better sleep quality. Vitamin D can be obtained through dietary sources such as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), egg yolks, fortified dairy products, and supplements if required.
Walking at a brisk pace for a longer duration of time is also effective for weight loss. In fact, a longer walk can be as beneficial as a shorter duration, slightly higher intensity walk, Sanders says, and may lower your risk of injury. Longer duration walks can also help increase your endurance.
What time of day is best for seniors to walk? A study from February 2023 concludes that exercising in the afternoon might be especially beneficial for seniors' longevity.
The choice between walking outdoors and on a treadmill comes down to personal preference, goals, and lifestyle. While both methods have their own set of benefits, outdoor walking often provides a richer, more varied experience that can lead to greater calorie burn, enhanced motivation, and improved overall well-being.
If you have a chronic condition that limits your ability to walk comfortably, the NIH recommends seniors aim to walk only about 5,500 steps each day, or an average of two miles. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist about ways to make this goal more achievable for you.
Adults in their 50s were able to stand on one leg for about 45 seconds, and those in their 70s for 26 seconds. The reason is multifaceted, health experts say.
The research suggests that 6,000-8,000 steps per day can help reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in seniors 60 years or older. No connection was found between the intensity of the steps and how long a person lived. In other words, the intensity of steps wasn't related to whether a person died earlier in life.
The CDC recommends that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or about 20 minutes per day. Depending on your pace, this could mean walking at least one mile per day.
A “flat tummy walk” is a type of exercise that is intended to help tone and strengthen the. abdominal muscles, leading to a flatter stomach. This type of exercise typically involves engaging the core muscles and walking at a brisk pace. It can be done indoors or outdoors and doesn't require any equipment.
After a family trip made me realise how much my weight was holding me back, I started following a low-carb diet, weighing my food with a scale, and walking at least 10,000 steps a day. I've now lost 80 pounds (5 stone and 10lbs, or 36kg) in under 11 months. I have been overweight most of my life.
The benefits of walking cannot be over-extolled: one study found that a 12-week walking program significantly reduced anxiety and improved cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults with depression, while another showed that high-intensity walking in midlife was associated with ...
For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Improve cardiovascular fitness.