Healthcare and Fitness
The Purported Benefits of Walking
(The 11 minute secret for a longer life: (Source British Journal of Sports Medicine). "Walking of a moderate pace for about 11 minutes a day could cut your risk of early death by 23 percent, " says an analysis of 196 studies. It could also reduce the odds of heart disease by 19 percent and the breast, colon, endometrial, liver, and lung cancer by 5 to 10 percent.)
The benefits of walking are so great, yet most of us don't see walking as an inspiring feat For many people though, walking is a sustainable and beneficial way to get moving. Recent research shows that walking improves heart and lung function, enhances metabolism, and builds bone density. It keeps the brain healthy and maintains everyday strength and mobility. Going for a walk can boost mood and support better sleep. It can be an avenue to explore new places, to bond with friends, and even to meditate in a group. There are ways where walking can work for us.
1. Walking keeps our body balanced. We spend much of our lives seated most of the time. Our sedentary daily routines contribute to muscle and joint restrictions in hips, chest, and upper back. Over the years this limited mobility creates imbalance and higher risk of injury. Walking is the antidote When walking is done at its finest, it activates muscles on the back of the body and causes whole body activity. Desk workers sitting at a computer, hovering over phones or noisy children, can better get up and walk for 5 minutes at least every hour. To breakup long sitting one can use a standing facility for work Anytime one can go for a longer dedicative walk, before, during or after one's working day
2. Walking supports mental health. Our brains are pre-occupied by the world around us, which can distract us so often. Walking can reset the system that helps restore our nervous system to calmness. Going for a stroll in nature can offer mental-health benefits aplenty. People who walk for over an hour in a natural area, compared to a high-traffic urban setting, showed almost no depression. Research shows that breathing fresh air and seeing green space while walking, is calming, energizing, and a mood lifter, away from ruminating thoughts.
3. Walking strengthens one's heart and lungs: By walking one can increase his heart rate in a meaningful way. Just to increase one's cardiovascular system, one can increase one's pace, walk up and down hills or use a treadmill. A brisk walk for most people is a 5 km per hour pace. Getting up and moving the body with purpose will have health benefits. Ultimately we need to try to get to at least 2 hours or more of walking per week, but not disregarding our basic health status.
Walking boosts our metabolism: Metabolism is our body's ability to take in fuel and process it to support life. To optimize our metabolism, we have to aim for basic healthy habits get good - nutrition, ample sleep, and exercise. Out of the non-excess activity (NEAT): In our daily life from household chores, playing with our kids, eating and sleeping, walking is the simplest thing. Walking a dog, walking with kids to the playground, grocery store or climbing the steers, can also support our metabolism by helping regulate our appetite. A healthy metabolism supports our body's ability to survive and thrive.
5. Walking aids digestion: In Italy, an evening walk for better digestion is a cultural tradition. A 2013 study in Diabetes Care found that three 15 minutes walks daily helped older people with impaired glucose tolerance, increase their ability to regulate blood sugars for the next 24 hours. Later studies in Sports Medicine in 2022 revealed that even 2 to 5 minutes walk moderated blood sugar levels in participants with or without diabetes. Moreover, walking encourages constriction and relaxation of intestinal muscles that push the contents forward (digestion and motility).
6. Walking enhances healthy ageing: Walking is directly linked to increased longevity and it is a common exercise for the longest-living people. In the western world, most of the doctors do prescribe walking for prevention of cardiovascular disease and dementia, besides depression and urinary continence. Now, it is known that walking besides exercise increases BDNF - the brain fertiliser, more than some supplements. A 2019 Mayo Clinic study of 474,919 participants found a brisker walking pace to be associated with longer life expectancy. Carlos Reynes, the renowned scientist from Oak Part-III, stresses that the most important thing is to make walking a consistent habit.
7. Mindful wellness walks: It doesn't take much to transform a normal walk into a mindful, restorative one. One can take in the sights, the sounds and the scents, and even touch what is around us. These types of walks are known to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, and alleviate stress and anxiety.
8. The 11 minute secret for a longer life: (Source British Journal of Sports Medicine). "Walking of a moderate pace for about 11 minutes a day could cut your risk of early death by 23 percent, says an analysis of 196 studies. It could also reduce the odds of heart disease by 19 percent and the breast, colon, endometrial, liver, and lung cancer by 5 to 10 percent."
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Courtesy:- Dr. Tej K. Munshi and Koshur Samachar 2023, July