Research details the many ways walking protects your health. We make it fun.
The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. This simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is boosts your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits that go far beyond basic fitness. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.
1. Counteracts the Effects of Weight-Promoting Genes
Think your genetics doom you to weight gain? Think again. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. The results were remarkable: among study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.
Your daily walk literally rewrites your genetic destiny.
2. Helps Tame a Sweet Tooth
Reaching for chocolate when stress hits? A 15-minute walk might be your best defense. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a quarter-hour walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount you eat in stressful situations. The latest research confirms that walking reduces cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.
Next time temptation strikes, lace up your shoes instead of opening the cupboard.
3. Reduces the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found something specific: women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week.
Even more encouraging? Walking provided this protection even for women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.
4. Eases Joint Pain
Contrary to what you might think, walking doesn’t wear out your joints—it protects them. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place.
Walking protects the joints—especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis—by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them. Every step is preventive medicine.
5. Boosts Immune Function
Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less.
And when they did get sick? It was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.
The Bottom Line: Start Walking Today
The evidence is overwhelming: walking is powerful, accessible, and effective medicine. No prescription required, no side effects, and no expensive equipment needed.
Ready to make walking more engaging? Games Afoot | goAgatha transforms your daily walks into brain-sharpening mystery adventures. Solve crimes while you strengthen your body, sharpen your mind, and build the consistent walking habit that delivers incredible — and documented — health benefits.
Your wonder drug is waiting. Just download goAgatha and step outside.