5 Ways Walking Can Improve Your Heart Health

If you’ve ever participated in a Heart Walk, such as the American Heart Association’s annual fundraiser in cities around the U.S., you’ve not only raised funds for a good cause—you’ve actually benefitted your own heart. Walking is a surprisingly great exercise for cardiovascular well-being.

No matter your fitness level, you can just about always start with a stroll. When you do, you’ll get your limbs moving, blood pumping and oxygen flowing—all of which add up to a healthier cardiovascular system. But before you hit the pavement, check out these five reasons why walking is good for heart health.

Understanding the Importance of Heart Health

The heart just might be the body’s most critical organ. With each beat, it sends oxygen-rich blood outward through the arteries to nourish every one of your trillions of cells. This flow of blood not only drops off life-giving oxygen and nutrients but also removes metabolic waste and takes oxygen-depleted cells back to the heart where they can be replenished.

When your cardiovascular health is good, your tissues remain well-oxygenated and well-nourished, allowing you to breathe normally at rest, participate in physical activity without getting winded, and have a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute. On the other hand, when your arteries begin to clog with plaque or your heart muscle weakens, you may notice opposite symptoms, such as shortness of breath or a rapid heart rate.

If your cardiovascular health deteriorates enough, it can ultimately lead to heart attack or heart disease—both of which require medical intervention. To keep your heart in good shape, you can incorporate aerobic exercise like walking. It’s simple. It’s safe. And it offers more benefits than you might realize.

Boosts Aerobic Fitness and Capacity

Walking is an aerobic activity, meaning it requires oxygen to perform. This is actually one key to its effectiveness in improving heart health. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the oxygen requirements of regular, moderate-to-vigorous activity cause the heart to pump more effectively.

This increased pumping action ultimately strengthens the heart muscle. Aerobic exercise also helps reduce the waxy buildup in blood vessels known as plaque, lowering your risk for coronary heart disease.

The more you walk, the more you’ll build cardiovascular endurance, too. As your body adapts to lengthier bouts of physical activity like walking, it becomes used to pumping blood at a higher rate for longer periods. This increased cardiovascular fitness can help prevent hypertension and stroke.

May Help to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check are two of the most effective ways to maintain a healthy heart. And walking can improve both of these important measures of cardiovascular wellness. 

A study published in the journal, American Family Physician, for example, found that walking lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.11 mmHg and lowered diastolic blood pressure by 1.79 mmHg. Regular strolling even reduced resting heart rate by 2.76 beats per minute. Meanwhile, other research revealed that people with higher baseline systolic blood pressure saw even greater reductions than people with lower systolic blood pressure.

Research also shows that walking can help decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels. An older meta-analysis revealed that people who walked regularly had lower non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than a control group. In another study, researchers concluded that older women experienced lower triglycerides after bouts of walking as short as 10 minutes.

Promotes a Healthy Weight

Walking may not be the first exercise that springs to mind for weight management, but it definitely burns calories. At an average pace, a 140-pound person can burn about 75 calories per mile.

Several studies also have associated a walking practice with a healthier weight. One study in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that moderate walking enhanced the effectiveness of diet-based weight loss programs. Another in the International Journal of Obesity found that brisk walking helped reduce abdominal fat.

There’s definitely a link between maintaining a healthy weight and having a healthy heart. The more weight you carry on your frame, the harder it is to perform aerobic activities that strengthen your cardiovascular system. And unfortunately, obesity and heart disease often go hand in hand, since higher weight can cause elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Reduces Stress and Boosts Mental Health

Even a brief loop around the block can clear your head and leave you less stressed. Aerobic exercise like brisk walking releases endorphins that refresh the mind and boost mood. That’s not only a good thing for your sense of mental well-being, it’s helpful for your heart, too! 

According to the American Heart Association, chronic stress is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. And because high levels of stress can lead us to unhealthy habits like overeating or poor sleep, they can be a double-whammy for cardiovascular wellness. Rather than reach for ice cream or stay up late watching TV, try a walk as a stress-reduction technique.

Improves Circulation and Reduces Inflammation

When the heart has to work too hard to circulate blood, you can end up with high blood pressure. As an aerobic exercise, walking helps the heart move blood more effectively and efficiently throughout your body. In other words, it improves circulation. When your circulation is strong, you might even see improvements in energy, body temperature, and mental focus.

Another behind-the-scenes element of cardiovascular health is inflammation. Higher levels of inflammation are associated with heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, this is another way walking can quell disease risk. Research shows that aerobic exercise of any type may help reduce inflammatory markers in the blood.