Dr. Alex Wibberley, health expert, on walking more: “Moving more and getting out in the fresh air is incredibly powerful”
No expensive equipment required, it can be done in just about any type of weather, and you don’t need time to recover afterwards, quite the contrary.
It can be hard to find the time to get in some exercise, with constant obligations chewing up our time leaving only snippets that don’t feel long enough to properly move our bodies in a meaningful way. Not to mention that we have access to a plethora of content on streaming platforms and sporting events galore which makes it easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle.
However, if you can just squeeze in even short periods of getting your heart rate up, it “makes a real difference,” says Dr. Alex Wibberley, an emergency medicine doctor. The health expert shared in a YouTube video earlier this year the numerous benefits of getting out for a walk, from regulating your body’s metabolism to improving your mental health.
The incredible power of walking
Dr. Wibberley says that he, as well as just about everyone else, has always known that “movement and exercise are good for you.” Like many people though, he fell into the same trap that it had to be an all-out workout or he’d just do nothing. But he became aware over the past year that “simply moving more and getting out in the fresh air is incredibly powerful.”
Walking is a great way to do this and it “has a wide range of benefits that directly influence longevity,” he says. “And those effects are powerful in their own right.” He found this out firsthand thanks to the acquisition of a dog that has him walking close to 2 hours a day in total, “no matter what the weather.”
“The physical and psychological benefits that’s given me have been absolutely massive,” he states. “And I can’t even imagine how much it would benefit somebody twice my age who might otherwise be sedentary.”
Besides just the obvious benefits of moving his muscles and aerobic aspect of walking, he’s noticed that it’s changed his appetite. “When I walk after eating, I don’t get the same hunger dips between meals that I used to,” the health expert explains. The reason for this has been scientifically proven. According to a study published in Diabetes Care, a 15-minute walk after a meal “significantly improves blood sugar control compared to doing the same amount of walking at another time of the day.”
“When you walk after eating, your muscles actively take up glucose from that meal, blunting post-meal blood sugar spikes that drives metabolic damage over time,” he shares. “It likely explains why hunger feels more stable afterwards. Your blood sugar stays steadier.”
Also, as opposed to your physiology adapting to a sedentary lifestyle, which slows your metabolic rate, regular activity signals to your body that its systems need to be preserved. “This is exactly what we see in blue zones,” areas known for their populations living longer, healthier lives than the rest of the world, Dr. Wibberley says.
Other benefits that he has found from walking are that his mind feels clearer, his concentration is better, and it resets his mental state. The doctor points out that research backs this up.
“Time spent in nature has a measurable calming effects on the nervous system, reducing stress hormones and promoting recovery,” the health expert says. “The rhythmic nature of walking may even help with emotional processing and anxiety.”
Dr. Wibberley notes that “in some studies, a brisk 30-minute walk has been shown to be as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression.”
Furthermore, being exposed to natural light outdoors helps regulate our circadian rhythm. This in turn improves sleep, which is an important pillar of increasing both mental and physical health along with longevity.
“Walk after meals when you can. Take the stairs, park further away,” he urges viewers. “And if your life allows it, then just get a dog. It’s genuinely one of the best health decisions I’ve ever made.”
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