“Walking is the Closest Thing We Have to a Wonder Drug…”

So the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, is quoted as saying, and many in the medical profession agree. While it is universally acknowledged that any exercise is beneficial to our overall health, walking offers some unexpected advantages. 

One of those advantages is it seems to counteract the effects of weight-promoting genes as the result of a study from a group of Harvard scientists concluded. The project involved looking at “32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much the genes actually contribute to body weight.” Within the group of participants who walked briskly for an hour a day, researchers found the effects of the weight-promoting genes were cut in half.    

Another surprising result of walking is it was shown to actually diminish a person’s sweet tooth. In a recent study out of the University of Exeter, researchers found walking appears to curb cravings for chocolate and other sugary treats. Their study showed even 15 minutes of walking a day could reduce the habit of eating sweets when stressed.  

While doctors recognize any physical exercise is beneficial to reducing the risk of breast cancer, an American Cancer Society study found women who walked seven or more hours a week “had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week.” Researchers say walking helped decrease a woman’s risk for breast cancer even when she had an increased risk due to obesity or supplemental hormones. Other studies show walking helps to reduce joint pain and lubricates and strengthens muscles as well as boost the immune system.  

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Source: 

health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking