Editing Walking (section)

==Health benefits==
{{main|Physical_exercise#Benefits|l1=Physical exercise}}

Regular, brisk [[exercise]] can improve [[confidence]], [[Endurance|stamina]], [[energy]], [[weight control]] and may reduce [[Chronic stress|stress]].<ref name="references">References:

* {{cite book |last1=Edlin |first1=Gordon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0MUi2yslAS0C&pg=PA156 |title=Health and wellness |last2=Golanty |first2=Eric |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7637-4145-7 |page=156}} (Google Books)
* {{cite book |last=Tolley |first=Rodney |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=738aG1QxoBUC&pg=PA72 |title=Sustainable transport: planning for walking and cycling in urban environments |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=1-85573-614-4 |page=72}}</ref> Scientific studies have also shown that walking may be beneficial for the mind, improving [[memory]] skills, [[learning]] ability, [[attentional control|concentration]], mood, creativity, and abstract reasoning.<ref name="references"/> Sustained walking sessions for a minimum period of thirty to sixty minutes a day, five days a week, with the correct walking posture may improve health.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Proper walking technique|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/proper-walking-technique/img-20007670|access-date=2023-01-02|website=Mayo Clinic|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-29 |title=Perfecting your walking technique |url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/perfecting-your-walking-technique |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=Harvard Health |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]'s fact sheet on the "Relationship of Walking to Mortality Among U.S. Adults with Diabetes" states that those with diabetes who walked for two or more hours a week lowered their mortality rate from all causes by 39 percent. Women who took 4,500 steps to 7,500 steps a day seemed to have fewer premature deaths compared to those who only took 2,700 steps a day.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Taking steps so you may live longer|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/taking-steps-so-you-may-live-longer-1.3923407|access-date=2023-01-02|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref> "Walking lengthened the life of people with diabetes regardless of age, sex, race, body mass index, length of time since diagnosis and presence of complications or functional limitations."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/factsheets/walking.htm |title=Relationship of walking to mortality among U.S. adults |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control]] |date=20 May 2011 |access-date=16 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129041207/http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/factsheets/walking.htm |archive-date=29 January 2013}}</ref> One limited study found preliminary evidence of a relationship between the speed of walking and health, and that the best results are obtained with a speed of more than {{convert|2.5|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>
{{cite journal
|author1=Paul T. Williams mail |author2=Paul D. Thompson | title = The Relationship of Walking Intensity to Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. Results from the National Walkers' Health Study
| journal = PLOS ONE
| doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0081098
|pmid=24260542 | date =  November 19, 2013
| volume=8
|issue=11 | pages=e81098
| pmc=3834211
|bibcode=2013PLoSO...881098W |doi-access=free }}</ref>

A 2023 study by the ''[[European Journal of Preventive Cardiology]]'', the largest study to date, found that walking at least 2,337 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from [[cardiovascular disease]]s, and that 3,967 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from any cause. Benefits continued to increase with more steps.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Geddes |first=Linda |date=2023-08-08 |title=Revealed: walking just 4,000 steps a day can reduce risk of dying |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/09/revealed-walking-just-4000-steps-a-day-can-reduce-risk-of-dying |access-date=2023-08-09 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> James Leiper, associate medical director at the [[British Heart Foundation]], said that if the benefits of walking could be sold as a medicine "we would be hailing it as a wonder drug".<ref name=":0" />