Walking Beginners Print Top 10 Reasons You Should Start Walking By Wendy Bumgardner facebook twitter Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. Learn about our editorial process Wendy Bumgardner Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Richard Fogoros, MD on August 05, 2016 Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Review Board Richard Fogoros, MD Updated on September 24, 2019 More in Walking Beginners Walking for Weight Loss Treadmill Walking Long Distance Walking Walking Shoes Walking Fast Gear and Clothing Pedometers and Fitness Bands Injuries and Prevention Clubs, Partners, and Programs Treadmill Workouts View All Why should you start walking? Walking for 30 to 60 minutes each day is one of the best things you can do for your body, mind, and spirit. Here are great reasons to lace up your sneakers and get started. 1 Walkers Live Longer Luca Sage/Getty Images The Honolulu Heart Study of 8000 men found that walking just two miles a day cut the risk of death almost in half. The walkers' risk of death was especially lower from cancer. Other studies have had similar findings—if you keep walking, you improve your chances of a longer and healthier life. How Exercise Can Add Healthy Years to Your Life 2 Walking Helps Prevent Weight Gain Hero Images/Getty Images If you add just 2,000 more steps a day to your regular activities, you may never gain another pound. So says research by Dr. James O. Hill of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. To lose weight, add in more steps. 30 Easy Ways to Walk 2,000 More Steps a Day 3 You Can Walk off Weight Darryl Leniuk/Digital Vision/Getty Images Exercise such as walking is an important part of any weight loss program. You must still watch how much you eat in order to lose weight. But walking helps you build healthy lean muscle, lose inches of fat, and pump up your metabolism. Of long-term successful weight losers, almost all maintain a program of walking or other exercises. How Much Should You Walk to Lose Weight? 4 Walking Reduces Risk of Cancer Robert Daly/OJO Images/Getty Images Study after study has shown that walking and exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. Walking is also good for those undergoing cancer treatment, improving their chances of recovery and survival. 5 Walking Reduces Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke Guido Mieth/DigitalVision/Getty Images Heart disease and stroke are among the top killers of both men and women. You can cut your risk of both in half by walking for 30-60 minutes a day. Get your blood moving! 6 Walking Reduces Diabetes Risk David Jakle/Image Source/Getty Images Get out and walk for 30 minutes a day as your minimum daily requirement for health and to prevent Type 2 diabetes. A study by the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, discovered that walking for 30 minutes a day cut diabetes risks for overweight as well as non-overweight men and women. Walking also helps maintain blood sugar balance for those with diabetes. Beat Metabolic Syndrome With These Types of Exercise 7 Walking Boosts Your Brain Power altrendo images/Stockbyte A study of people over 60 funded by the National Council on Aging, published in the July 29, 1999, issue of Nature, found that walking 45 minutes a day at 16-minute mile pace increased the thinking skills of those over 60. The participants started at 15 minutes of walking and built up their time and speed. The result was that the same people were mentally sharper after taking up this walking program. Walking for Mental Sharpness and Mood 8 Walking Improves Mood and Relieves Stress Mark Harmel/Getty Images Walking and other exercise leads to the release of the body's natural happy drugs—endorphins. Most people notice an improvement in mood. A November 9, 1999 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine showed that university students who walked and did other easy to moderate exercise regularly had lower stress levels than couch potatoes or those who exercised strenuously. 9 Walking Can Prevent Erectile Dysfunction BreBa/Getty Images What better reason for men to take a brisk 2-mile walk each day—reduced risk of impotence from mid-life onward. A 2018 review of studies recommends 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity four times per week. Weekly exercise totaling 160 minutes done for six months may decrease erectile problems. Men Can Reduce ED Risks With Exercise 10 It's Easy to Get Started Sam Edwards/Getty Images All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes and to get yourself out the door or onto the treadmill. You can reap the benefits of walking from doing several shorter walks or one longer walk during the day. To get you on the right foot, these tutorials show you how to walk with good posture and how to build a walking schedule to meet your needs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to start walking off the weight? Our free guide offers tips, workouts, and a printable schedule to help you get on the right track. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gerbild H, Larsen CM, Graugaard C, Areskoug Josefsson K. Physical Activity to Improve Erectile Function: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Sex Med. ;6(2):75–89. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2018.02.001