Your Little Walks

There are plenty of benefits to your "little walks" you take each day.

9 Benefits Of Walking To Keep You Stepping

With medical research to back up its many benefits, walking totally counts as real exercise for the whole family.

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A daily habit of walking – ideally two to three miles, or 30 to 40 minutes a day – can contribute to keeping your arteries healthy and improving oxygen flow in the blood.

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Walking can keep you from the gym if it’s not in your budget or something you enjoy. Step toward an ideal 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity and you’ll improve your health, suggested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Can’t get to sleep? Regular walking helps people rest easier and longer. The key is making those steps a daily habit. If you can’t manage, say, 40 minutes a day, try working as many 10-minute intervals as possible into your schedule.Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

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You can up your circulation and oxygenate your blood and joints with walking, too. As per the CDC, it may also lessen joint aches and potentially alleviate arthritis pain.

Our habits as humans can have an impact on pollution, as evidenced by the NASA studies on the altered air quality of 2020. Walking to run your next errand, or attend your next playdate, can lighten your carbon footprint.Maskot/Getty Images

Walking makes meetings more fun. Try popping in some earbuds and walking for your next teleconference, or give yourself a brainstorming session in the middle of the day. There’s evidence walking can take your creativity to the next level.

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Walking may help with mental health, too. Taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of nature can decrease negative mental dwelling, research shows.FreshSplash/Getty Images

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Walking is also a low-impact workout option for pregnant bodies. The ACOG suggested fast-paced sessions multiple times a week to keep up ideal health without wearing on joints. Regular exercise may also help ward off gestational diabetes.

Walking is also a fun way to connect with your kids. Consider walking to school, and spend the time talking to your child about daily life and all their feelings. If walking to school isn’t possible, try printing out a fun scavenger hunt.Ariel Skelley/Getty Images

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