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OPINION-EDITORIAL / EDITORIAL / Take a walk: It’s good for physical and mental health
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Editorial, Opinion-Editorial

Take a walk: It’s good for physical and mental health

Published October 2, 2022, 12:05 AM

by Manila Bulletin

Today, an extraordinary walk will happen like a wave from east to west of the globe covering many time
zones to bring a simple message – walking is good!

It is known as the TAFISA World Walking Day, an event started in 1991 by The Association for
International Sports For All, where people walked at 10 a.m., their time, passing the virtual baton to the
walkers in the next country and creating a 24-hour relay across the globe.

In 2021, people from 86 countries joined World Walking Day, and this year, organizers foresee more
participants who will raise awareness on the benefits of walking, sports, and physical activity.

In over three decades, millions of people from over 160 countries have made a habit of walking together
on the first Sunday of October, turning it into World Walking Day. TAFISA’s global strategy to fight what
it calls the “worldwide physical inactivity epidemic” is carried by its slogan, “For a better world through
sport for all.”

The first Sunday of October is not the only annual walking day. In the U.S., there is a National Walking
Day observed on the first Wednesday of April sponsored by the American Heart Association. It is also “a
call-to-action to increase physical activity by starting with a 30-minute walk during the work day.”

There are many movements to call attention to the benefits of walking, the simplest exercise which does
not require skill as the body is made to walk. It’s such a simple human activity which starts with putting
one foot in front of the other, repeated many times at one’s pace.
The reminders on the benefits of walking are being sounded repeatedly these days because many
people had become physically inactive during the past two years of the Covid pandemic. While it’s
beginning to look like the old days are back, with students back in school, businesses in full operation,
and even traffic stalling mobility, one worrisome condition remains – inactive children and young adults
glued to their gadgets.

It’s a condition which health experts say is contributing to the problem of physical inactivity which can
breed an unhealthy body and mind, resulting in loss of productivity, and a strain on the country’s health
system.

Taking a walk is the simplest way to start getting people out of physical inactivity.

Many studies have proven that walking at least 30 minutes a day is effective in preventing many
illnesses, among them diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. On top of boosting physical health,
walking has also been proven to enhance mental health.

Walking is an instant mood-booster. Our bodies get more oxygen which gives more energy and puts one
in a better mood. Even a 15-minute daily walk will have a significant impact on one’s mood throughout
the day.

Better mood also comes from better sleep which walking can improve. Health experts recommend that
“even a 20 to 30-minute walk in the fresh air can help improve the quality of sleep.”

The most popular benefit of walking regularly is controlling weight gain. Looking good boosts
confidence. It’s the start of feeling good and thinking better.

Another benefit of walking is it gives many opportunities to appreciate the environment with family and
friends. The immediate effect of a walk like that is a happy feeling.

In the Philippines, as well as in many other countries, there have been initiatives to establish a walking
day at least once a week by closing specific areas to cars to encourage people to walk around. That
initiative should extend to an annual event held throughout the country to create more awareness on
the many benefits of a simple walk. It’s the cheapest way to a healthy population.
Why not start a Philippine National Walking Day?

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RELATED TAGS:

EDITORIAL

ENHANCE MENTAL HEALTH

MANILA BULLETIN

NATIONAL WALKING DAY

TAKE A WALK: IT’S GOOD FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

WALKING IS GOOD

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