The benefits of walking clubs, according to science

We hear it all the time. Walking is good for you. You should walk for at least 30 minutes a day or you should take 10,000 steps every 24 hours. From health professionals to Instagram fitness gurus to our smartwatches, everyone seems to be telling us to get up and start walking.
But why exactly should we walk? What scientific benefits does walking offer? And why should you join a walking club instead of just walking on your own? In today’s blog, we’re going to use the power of science to answer all of these questions.

Scientifically Proven Benefits of Walking

Of the myriad of exercises, few have been as studied and scrutinised as much as walking. For generations, everyone from sports scientists to nutritionists has been studying and proclaiming the benefits of walking. So what does the science tell us?
Walking is a cardiovascular exercise. That means it’s an activity that uses our aerobic metabolism. We know our aerobic metabolism is engaged when we’re involved in any activity that makes our heart beat faster or makes our lungs breathe deeper. Any cardiovascular exercise done over time will stimulate adaptation in our vital organs. Therefore walking a little bit every day helps improve the function of the heart, lungs and the circulatory system.

The Benefits of a Walking Club

Okay fine, the above are the benefits of walking and we’d get these benefits if we walk in a group or on our own. However, to maximise these results the science seems to indicate walking in a group is the preferred method.
Like we mentioned, to get the most from walking it’s an activity that needs to be done regularly over a prolonged period of time. So the real challenge of walking is making it a habit and creating a habit is easier in a group. According to a study published in the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, individuals seem more likely to stick to an exercise regime if they are part of a group. This same study also found that group walking improves the overall standard of physical activity while increasing quality of life.

Conclusion

Walking is great but walking in a group adds tangible benefits to this already valuable activity. To be clear you don’t need a science degree or a field of researchers to discover the benefits of group walking. Instead, you can join one of our Dublin walking clubs.
As one of the most popular walking clubs in Dublin, we have groups for all fitness levels. For more information on our walking clubs please sign-up for our walking club newsletter.