From reducing cravings to improving blood sugar, walking may be doing far more for your health than you realise
Words: Alice Dogruyol | Images: Shutterstock
When it comes to exercise, I’ll have bursts of enthusiasm and self-discipline that usually last for a few weeks or months and then life takes over and I inevitably fall out of the routine and fall back into my sedentary desk-bound lifestyle. But, when I do decide that it is time to get back into exercising, walking is always my first step. It is free, it is gentle, it can be really enjoyable and I always feel better for doing it. It is widely accepted that there is no better elixir for metabolic health than being active, but finding the motivation, energy and time to take 10,000 steps a day can be really challenging. If you commute to work, pop out for lunch and dash around attending meetings all day, then 10,000 steps a day becomes more achievable. If you work from home, 10,000 steps can feel out of reach.
Thankfully, there is mounting evidence to support that even a modest number of steps a day is related to lower mortality rates. A 2019 study carried out by Brigham and Women’s Hospital found older women who took 4,400 steps per day had lower mortality than those taking 2,700; risk of death continued to decrease with more steps up to 7,500 per day before levelling off. The positive effects of walking on cardiovascular health is well documented, but to drop fat you need to do other things alongside your walking.
A good mood boost
Walking definitely improves my mood and doesn’t make me as tired, which means I’m less hungry and less likely to overeat. The benefits of decreasing sedentary time have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. To help get motivated, I find that walking with a friend is really helpful. You talk so much you forget how far you have walked. I used to go out with my dad for a long walk every Sunday morning and once saw Dame Darcey Bussell. She was walking with poise and purpose, circling and stretching her arms as she stepped. Ever since then I have always tried to walk with better posture.
Healthier food choices
The joy of walking in nature seems to have a positive weight-loss effect, as what I find is that, if I have had a nice morning walk with a friend, it puts me in a good frame of mind and makes me far less likely to eat an unhealthy breakfast. A study carried out by researcher Dr Larissa Ledochowski and colleagues from the University of Innsbruck revealed that 15 minutes of brisk walking reduced urges for sugary snacks in overweight people, so every time you have the urge for chocolate, take yourself out for a walk instead! So, the mood benefits are definitely a plus for me as it makes me less likely to feel low and then indulge in comfort food.
Blood glucose levels
I often have a gentle walk to lower my blood glucose. Walking and diabetes is a match made in heaven. Having said that, as a type 1 diabetic, even a short walk needs planning and constant blood glucose monitoring. A long hike for me often pushes my blood glucose dangerously low and I’ll need to eat several sweets to get my levels up, which can be frustrating for getting in a calorie deficit for weight loss. There have been many studies to show walking can lower blood glucose and improve insulin resistance. Studies in both men and women with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated that eight weeks of aerobic walking for 30 minutes a day, three days a week decreased HbA1c (three-month average blood glucose) levels by 18 per cent.
Walking magic
There is something liberating about going for a walk and we often take it for granted. I have become more aware of people around me that for some reason can’t walk the way they would like: mobility issues, perhaps, or recovering from surgery; I even have a friend who was paralysed in a swimming accident and hasn’t walked since. So, when I feel as if I can’t summon up the energy to go out for a walk, I try and reframe my thoughts and realise how lucky I am that I have a body that walks perfectly well and to be thankful for every step.
Walking for fitness: speeds, steps & strategy tips
Alice’s 5 tips to walk well
1. Cushioned trainers
There is nothing quite like the feeling of having an amazing pair of trainers or hiking boots to take you out on a walk. Out of all the brands I have ever tried, nothing beats Hoka. The Hoka Clifton 9 Trainers (£130, hoka.com) make you feel like you are walking on air, and Hoka’s hiking boots let you head off into any terrain feeling protected.
2. Wearable tech
As well as my FreeStyle Libre 2 blood glucose monitor, which never leaves my arm, I invested in a super smart Withings ScanWatch (£279.95, withings.com), which tells me everything from the number of steps I have completed to my blood oxygen levels and heart rate rhythm. It looks great and helps keep me on track and motivated, along with my Withings Body+ scale (£89.95). I like being able to look back at my weekly report and see how many steps I have taken each day.
3. Super-supportive bra
Before doing any brisk walking or exercise, having a great sports bra is essential. Having tried lots of designs, the very best I have ever found for large cup sizes is the high-impact Enell Sports Bra (£69, boobydoo.co.uk). I find no other bra comes anywhere close to the support and comfort this bra gives.
4. Compression Leggings
When I head out for a walk, I wear my Sweaty Betty Power Gym Leggings (£80, sweatybetty.com) and I feel I could walk forever. They have just the right amount of compression and are cut with a nice high waist. They firmly hug your curves and sculpt your silhouette, and when I walk with them on, I feel confident and strong, which encourages me to walk faster.
5. Walking holidays
One of the best wellness retreats I have ever been to in the UK is Yeotown in Devon (from £2,250, yeotown.com). Their programme involves daily guided walks along some of the most stunning British coastal and countryside locations you could ever imagine. As well as hiking, they offer yoga, meditation, massage, nutritional advice and amazing nourishing healthy food in their stunning property.
A week at Yeotown is transformative. I dropped a nice amount of weight and rediscovered my love of walking in nature.
