How Walking Can Help Prevent or Manage Chronic Disease

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Exercise, including walking, can help prevent and improve many health conditions, including chronic (long-lasting) diseases and conditions.^2,3 It can also help individuals with chronic diseases or conditions manage symptoms and improve overall health.³ In fact, according to research, exercise can help in the primary prevention of over 30 chronic conditions:

Arterial dyslipidemia
Balance issues
Bone fracture/falls
Cancers (bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, lung, stomach)
Cognitive dysfunction
Congestive heart failure
Constipation
Coronary heart disease
Deep vein thrombosis
Depression and anxiety
Diverticulitis

Endothelial dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction
Gall bladder disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gestational diabetes
Hemostasis
Hypertension
Insulin resistance
Metabolic syndrome
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis

Pain
Peripheral artery disease
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Preeclampsia
Pre-diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sarcopenia
Sleep apnea
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes^1,4,5

Let’s talk about how walking helps.

Click a link below to jump to a section of this article:

Brain and Mental Health
Bone, Muscle, and Joint Health
Cardiovascular Health
Type 2 Diabetes
Cancers
Conclusion

“Lack of physical activity affects almost every cell, organ, and system in the body causing sedentary dysfunction and accelerated death.”¹

Brain and Mental Health

A growing body of research suggests that regular walking can help prevent and preserve both mental and cognitive health among older adults. In a study of over 4,500 older adults, results showed that those who frequently engaged in leisure walking were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.⁶ The science suggests that walking can change brain chemistry, making older adults less susceptible to negative impacts on mental and physical health.⁶ In fact, research showed that regular, moderate-intensity walking (4 days per week for 12 weeks, in the study) strengthened connections in and between brain networks.^7,8

Regular participation in moderate-intensity walking appears to trigger neuroplastic effects^7,8 — the brain’s ability to adapt and change over time by creating new neurons and forming new networks.⁹ This effect has been observed in both older adults with normal cognition and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting that walking may strengthen brain connections even in the face of cognitive decline. These findings add to the growing body of evidence indicating that exercise could help slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.^7,8

Positive brain changes with physical activity aren’t only seen in older adults. Research has shown that physical activity and exercise activate adaptations in multiple regions of the brain, improving neural properties, allowing for enhanced learning and skill acquisition, improving cognition in both healthy adults and neurologically disabled adults.¹⁰ In fact, research suggests that “the portions of the brain most adaptable to change (i.e. learning, memory, emotion, etc.) are the first enhanced by physical activity and exercise.”¹⁰ Immediately after a session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, adults may have reduced feelings of short-term anxiety, improved sleep, and improved aspects of cognitive function. With regular physical activity, improvements are seen in long-term anxiety. deep sleep, and components of executive function (including the ability to plan and organize; monitor, inhibit, or facilitate behaviors; initiate tasks; and control emotions).¹¹

Improvements in cognition after physical activity are also seen in youth. Among children 6 to 13, improved thinking or cognition happens right after a session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This may include improved performance on academic achievement tests, executive function, processing speed, and memory.^11,12

Engaging in regular physical activity also reduces the risk of developing depression in both adults and children and can improve many of the symptoms experienced by people with depression.¹¹

Bone, Muscle, and Joint Health

Regularly walking for exercise strengthens the muscles of the legs and lower trunk while also preserving the flexibility of the body’s major joints. Walking is the most common weight-bearing exercise, and there are indications of an increase in bone strength at all ages.¹³ When walking for exercise, we break down old bone, which activates the formation of new bone cell turnover.¹⁴ This can decrease the risk of osteoporosis,¹³ which can happen as you get older and your bones lose their ability to regrow and reform themselves.¹⁵

Until around age 30, your body builds more bone than it loses; but after 35, bone loss speeds up, gradually reducing bone mass.¹⁵ Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of osteoporosis because of reduced estrogen levels, which normally protect against bone loss, leading to faster bone deterioration. Still, research shows that among postmenopausal women, walking can have protective factors for bone health and reduce the risk for hip fractures.^16,17,18

In addition to bone health. regular exercise, like walking, keeps your joints lubricated, which makes movement easier.¹⁹ For people with osteoarthritis (progressive joint disease caused by cartilage breakdown), moderate exercise, like walking, can help reduce symptoms and may even slow down the progression of the disease. Exercise affects all parts of the joint, helping to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair, and reduce pain.^20,21,22

Of course, walking also impacts your muscles, making them stronger. This can help you move better, maintain balance, and help protect you from injuries, which can lead to chronic issues.

Cardiovascular Health

There is a well-established relationship between regular physical activity and cardiovascular health.²³ In fact, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that “Physical activity strongly reduces both the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.¹¹

Research suggests walking, in particular, can improve many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including increasing aerobic capacity (how well your body uses oxygen) and decreasing blood pressure, waist circumference, percentage of body fat, and body mass index. A systematic review of 21 studies suggested a dose-dependent reduction in cardiovascular risk, meaning that higher walking time, distance, pace, and energy expenditure was associated with a greater reduction in cardiovascular risk.²⁴ In the study analysis, cardiovascular disease risk decreased incrementally with higher walking duration, distance, and energy expenditure, which provides support for causal effects of walking on cardiovascular disease.²⁴

An additional study on walking compared with vigorous exercise (among women aged 50-79) indicated that both were associated with substantial reductions in cardiovascular events, irrespective of race or ethnic group, age, or body mass index, but found prolonged sitting predicts increased cardiovascular risk.²⁵

Type 2 Diabetes

Studies suggest walking is associated with reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. In a study examining over 70, 000 women, walking at a normal pace was associated with a 20-30% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes; faster walking pace provided even more protection, further reducing the risk.²⁶ In the Diabetes Prevention Program, a 6 year follow-up of over 3,000 subjects found the incidence of diabetes was significantly reduced by 46% in the walking group – combining diet therapy with walking reduced the risk of diabetes by 67.4%.²⁶

Daily walking can help reduce body fat, improve blood lipid levels, enhance insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure in people with diabetes.²⁷ For individuals with type 2 diabetes, regular exercise improves the body’s ability to use insulin, making it easier to manage blood sugar levels. It also helps muscles work better by boosting proteins and enzymes that help with glucose metabolism (using sugar for energy) and insulin signaling (improving the way the body responds to insulin).¹⁰

Walking works the leg and arm muscles, helping them absorb blood sugar during the activity and for hours afterward, which can help keep blood sugar levels stable.²⁸ It also reduces the need for insulin production, which is beneficial for overall heart health and the body as a whole.²⁸ While the ideal exercise therapy for people with type 2 diabetes and related complications is still uncertain, research suggests that incorporating variations in intensity and motion, such as interval walking, may also be beneficial.²⁶

Cancers

Strong evidence suggests that physical activity, including walking, lowers the risk of certain cancers.^29,30,31 Research shows that adults who engage in greater amounts of physical activity have a reduced risk of developing several types of cancer, including bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, lung, and stomach cancer.^5,11

Evidence of benefit from regular exercise, including walking, is accumulating for cancer survivors, as well.^29,32 Studies have found an inverse relationship between exercise and cancer mortality, meaning that higher levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of death from cancer.¹⁰

Walking may also play an important role in maintaining functional independence for cancer patients.³³ According to Walking Program for People with Cancer by ML Winningham, RN, PhD, FACSM, it can be an important self-care activity to counter some of the debilitating effects of the disease and its treatment. Walking can be a practical and easy form of exercise for most cancer patients. Encouraging a low-intensity walking program may also provide the basis for positive feelings of control and hope in people with cancer.³³

Conclusion

Increased physical activity, including walking, is associated with reduced chronic disease risk. Walking can be a healthy and helpful intervention for chronic disease prevention and management. Talk with your health care provider about how best to get started and whether you should take any precautions based on your current health status.

Join us for our free, fun, and motivating walking programs to help keep you accountable and motivated in your walking journey.

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