5 Things Walking Can Do For You
If you have PCOS, or if you’re anxious or need to blow off steam, there are a lot of things that run through your mind about what to do. Being in a mental funk is tough. It also gets worse when you’re also suffering from a metabolic disease with a lot of crappy other symptoms to boot.
However, small things can help manage mental funks and PCOS—and they work with additional steps like self-care, self-acceptance, and eating well. Of course, it is exercise!
Walking, to be specific, is a low-intensity exercise that can help you deal with anxiety and PCOS and is a great way to get active.
In this article, we’ll list what it can do for you!
Boost the Mood
You can walk to boost your mood when feeling down or in a funk. Research shows that even ten minutes of walking can improve your mood. If you do it in some greenery, you may reap more benefits!
The odds of mood improvement with walking are high and even better than the usual NBA odds. Just like how betting on NBA odds has historically helped people get into a better mood because of its high in relation to gambling, it’s the same for walking and its effect on people, except this is a healthier way to feel good. We say this because studies back it up. According to Dr. Melina B. Jampolis, M.D., author of The Doctor on Demand Diet, sunlight can help as regular walking can change how your nervous system is wired and even decrease anger and hostility. During the colder months, it’s best to do this, too, because it is when seasonal depression is on high, and it helps boost the mood.
Aerobic Activity
If you walk a lot faster and more frequently, you can access more of its benefits. Although you will start walking on average, you can work your way up quicker and end up walking a lot more. I started out walking 3000 steps as per the advice of my PCOS dietician.
After that, I raised it to 5000, and then it became 6000, but my tracking then got to at least
6200-6500, and then sometimes I’d hit 7000 above. When I’m outside, though, sometimes I can hit as high as 15000 steps. It’s a beautiful activity for aerobics and increasing personal endurance.
Better Heart Health
Walking helps reduce one’s blood pressure – a vast improvement to one’s heart health. According to research, for 1000 daily steps, your systolic blood pressure lowers by .45 points. That’s how powerful walking is!
As said in The New England Journal of Medicine, those who walked enough to meet the physical activity guidelines had fewer chances of developing cardiovascular conditions than those who did not walk regularly.
Incorporate Physical Activity Into Your Life
You don’t need to walk a thousand steps all at once. Instead, you can do small bouts (ten minutes) three times and go for longer sessions. For weight loss, the period needs to last more than 30 minutes. To improve, you need to keep upping your activity level.
We suggest:
- Taking the stairs
- Walk nearby
- Take a stroll with the dog
- Doing errands
With this becoming a habit, weight loss will be achieved easily. If you have underlying conditions such as prediabetes and PCOS, you also need to alter your diet so that it can effectively support weight loss.
Sleep Quality Becomes Better
If you use melatonin, added physical activity improves your quality of sleep. Those who walk daily have experienced the added effects of walking in their sleep through reduced stress and pain.
Wrapping Up
Walking is a great boon in many ways. The majority of its benefits are related to health – and some to mental health. It goes a long way. However, if done regularly, you can get more boons from walking.