Ironically, when we talk about "cardio" in the fitness world it means some form of aerobic exercise that is hard, demanding and well, hard and demanding -- think sprints, crossfit WODs, HIT you fucking name it. If you're not puking your ring out then you're not doing proper cardio. Which is probably cool if you're bulimic but sounds like bullshit to me. The purpose for engaging in cardio for most of us is usually fitness and fat loss. That's it.
Fitness itself is a broad term because having a "fit" cardiovascular system means having a strong, healthy heart amongst other things. Fitness can mean having better endurance for doing harder shit over a longer time frame. Fitness could be the ability to recover faster, breathe better, blah blah blah but the point is getting fit has a lot of benefits and there's a shitload of ways to get fit, folks, one of which is walking.
Walking is one of the most under-rated exercises of our generation. Walking stretches muscles, tones the body, keeps our joints and ligaments lubed, grooved and feeling great, speeds up the metabolism and aids in weight reduction. Walking even aligns us physically (true story). It keeps our muscles doing what our muscles are meant to do because our ancestors weren't seated 247 at their work desks squinting into screens then driving home.
Read on and find out more because I hope by the end of this article you'll see the importance of cardio which in this case can be achieved through walking, especially if people are giving you a hard time about it: now you can quote them some key facts. I've even provided links at article end for further reading and research. Stay at it and don't listen to the naysayers. A good strong walk that gets the heart-rate up and clears the head is fantastic cardio.
Walking aids digestion
Eat a big meal and you usually A) pop your top button or B) feel like taking a kip under the dining room table. But. If you were to go for a stroll -- or what our parent's used to call "walking your meal off" -- this physical action aids in food digestion. Walking actually speeds the rate through which food moves through the stomach. Just saying, is all.
Walking aids metabolism
Ever done a lot of exercise and felt hungry afterwards? That's because your body has used up its energy resources; energy is the fuel you and I need to do shit. We get energy via food. Eating isn't just satiating hunger, its providing energy-slash-fuel to keep us moving. Walking consumes fuel, which signals to the brain we're hungry, which keeps our metabolism in higher gear. Active people eat a lot and don't store as much fat because they're active. Just don't be a dickhead and go out and eat more processed, greasy shit or sugary shit simply because you're active. That's just taking the piss.
Walking is good for blood-sugar levels
Not only does walking improve digestion, it helps balance your blood sugar levels. What is that, you ask? It's the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. High glucose can lead to the likes of diabetes as well as increase heart disease risks, even though it's our main source of energy. Walking contributes towards keeping blood sugar levels in check. Yeah, so does other activity but this is a walking article after all, so stick with me.
Walking reduces back pain
Research by Dr Katz-Leurer and Ilana Shnayderman of Tel Aviv University states a "simple aerobic walking program is as effective in alleviating lower back pain as muscle strengthening programs that require specialized equipment in rehabilitation clinics...research has shown that when people walk actively, abdominal and back muscles work in much the same way as when they complete exercises that target these areas".
I am not surprised. Walking is good news for spinal discs because it pumps minerals and vitamins into them. In effect, walking "moves stuff" about our bodies that "feeds" other stuff and engages shit-loads more "stuff" to do what it's supposed to be doing but doesn't because we're not walking. Or not doing any physical activity for that matter. Do physical activity. It matters.
Walking reduces stress
Okay, you might not think this is a great deal but it is. In today's world it really, really is which is why I'm going to talk to it a fair bit. Stress gets into the body and doesn't leave unless you and I actively do something to lessen and/or remove it on a regular -- if not daily -- basis. Seriously. Stress actually builds up and could be likened to an ongoing accumulation of toxins which can and does have physical consequences. One of my parents believes stress led to my sibling getting cancer. To be honest, I can't say I disagree with that. Stress kills.
If I suffer high stress levels over an extended period of time I find that smaller and much less stressful events still result in the same, high-level response which for me is goddamn migraines. My body doesn't differentiate between stress causing events as being major or minor once it's in said mindset -- it just flips out, period because I'm in an enduring space of ongoing stress. This tells me that I haven't detoxed from prior stress levels that have built up over the weeks and guess what...walking reduces stress. Pretty much any physical exercise can and does reduce stress.
Let me quote from pyschologytoday.com who state, "the stress hormone, cortisol, is public health enemy number one. Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels: interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease...the list goes on and on" (full link further below). That's some pretty full-on shit, mate.
If you visit the link for the above quote you'll also see that stress needs a physical outlet. Once manifested, stress needs to be physically released and thus, dispelled. Otherwise it can and will build up. Isn't it freaky how "stress" is an actual entity (cortisol) in and of itself? High cortisol from working out is normal. Long-term high cortisol from stress isn't.
Walking helps lose weight
Walking fast enough to keep your heart rate up can lead to weight loss. The netspurts say "can" but everyone I know whose taken up regular walking actually has lost weight and better yet, kept it off and so have I. However, I'm also a fan of a nice stroll irrespective of whether you lose weight or not just for the benefit of achieving mental clarity and detoxing from the shit going on around you.
Walking increases bone-density
Walking is such a natural occupation it shouldn't surprise us that it leads to higher levels of bone density and trust me, the older you get the more you want strong bones. We've all heard about strong muscles, sure, but strong bones? The amount of elderly who suffer fractures from a slight fall -- taking months to mend -- is large.
Not good.
Regular walking increases total-body bone density not just leg-bone density due to it being a weight bearing exercise: how cool is that? Well, I'll tell you. It's very cool. If walking is such a natural, easy to do exercise that needs no equipment yet has such obvious benefits, why don't we do more of it?
Walking exposes you to Vitamin D
Walking outside nine times out of ten exposes you to sunlight -- y'know, that bright orb thing up there? According to England's National Health Service, "Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, and we get most of ours from sunlight exposure...our body creates most of our vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin".
So if you're not going outside much and you hate walking, at least go outside every now and again to get your Vitamin D shot. Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium and promotes bone growth. Boom! Another bone density bonus right there, people. It facilitates "normal immune system function...reduces the risk of multiple sclerosis...decreases your chances of developing heart disease...reduces the likelihood of developing the flu".
Walking makes you live longer
This is always a good one, huh? Longevity. At least long enough to see your grand-kids. The Australian study I'm using saw mortality risks of 2500 middle-aged men decrease by 40% simply by upping their walking from sedentary to 10,000 steps per day (this was over a 15 year period). That's a huge improvement in longevity and a decent research period too.
The same article quotes a Honolulu Heart Study which found "walking just two miles a day cut the risk of death almost in half. The walkers' risk of death was especially lower from cancer. Those who walked infrequently were about 2.5 times more likely to die of cancer than were the two-mile-a-day men". Why we've created a modern society where so few of us get to physically move is beyond me. It's like we want to kill ourselves off.
Walking decreases risks of heart disease
Walking decreases risks of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of which contribute towards heart disease. Throw in obesity, smoking, large alcohol consumption, a shit diet and a total lack of physical activity, and you're well on your way to Heart Disease Central which is never a good place to visit...so why write your own invitation?
:: CONCLUSION
If you're not about to rush out and start running, jump rope, calisthenics, zumba or some other equally demanding aerobic-based exercise, do yourself a favour and just go for a walk. It's simple and it's easy to do 20-30min per day or every second day or just twice a week for starters. Up to you. The above pros obliterate any cons and yes, walking on a stationary treadmill does count. Absolutely. But here's an important point about cardio: in both my own and my wife's experience, we gravitate towards the cardio we most enjoy. Who wants to kill themselves doing a cardio they hate? If walking really isn't you then find a cardio you love otherwise: walk.
LINKS
(At the time of writing for this article, each of the below links were valid. Should some of them "disappear", that there is out of my hands, kemosabe. Want me bad. Want me real bad)