What Happens to Your Body While Walking

Walking is such a good way to shake up every part of your body. When you walk a number of things occur inside you. For you to learn about what takes place within an hour of walking, a minute account is given below. Take a look at it and you might just be motivated to take the steps.

1 to 5 Minutes

During the first five minutes of taking a few steps would stimulate the release of biologic chemicals from your cells. These provide the energy that will serve as your fuel as you walk. Your heart rate will start to increase from about 70 to 100 bpm (beats per minute) in order to boost your blood flow and be widely distributed to other parts of your body thereby warming up your muscles. Any stiffness felt will subside as lubricating fluid is released at the joints to help you move easily.

As you keep on moving, your body burns five calories per minute. The calories being used up at this point is five times more than what is utilized when you are at rest. More amounts of calorie will be needed as you continue walking. Because of this your body will begin to make use of your stored carbohydrates and fat.

6 to 10 Minutes

Since you are picking up the pace, your heartbeat will become faster towards achieving your optimum heart rate and about six calories are burned per minute. The slight rise in blood pressure is being compensated by the release of chemicals that causes the expansion of blood vessels allowing blood distribution that actually brings oxygen to the muscles at work.

11 to 20 Minutes

The temperature in your body keeps rising and triggers you to perspire as your body tries to release the excess heat in order to maintain the balance. An increase in the amount of calories will also ensue and you start to breathe harder. Hormones such as glucagon and epinephrine levels rise since they act in generating more fuel. The greater the amount of calories being used up, insulin level in your body lowers. This is good news since insulin is the one responsible for storing fat. Those who have problems with obesity and diabetes will in fact benefit much from this.

21 to 45 Minutes

At this point your body begins to relax letting go of the tension and a feeling of invigoration follows due to the dose of feel good chemicals such as endorphin in your brain. Slowly decrease the intensity of your walk.

46 to 60 Minutes

You may feel a bit exhausted since your stored carbohydrates have been used up. This is a signal to cool down for your heart rate to decrease. Your breathing will be slower and the burning of calories also lessens but still larger than when you started. The utilization of calories will remain elevated for another hour.

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