Walking Is Part Of A Healthy Lifestyle And Has Many Benefits
June 29, 2020 at 4:48 p.m.
By Max [email protected]
One easy way of exercising is to simply walk more, from 3000 to 10,000 steps per day is recommended. Three thousand is a good start. Brisk walking for 30 minutes for five days each week would be the goal. Walking for two and a half hours a week — that is just 21 minutes a day — can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%. The Harvard Health Letter reports that even a one minute jaunt can pay off. For every minute of brisk walking that women did throughout the day, they lowered the risk of obesity by 5%. 4,400 steps has been associated with a 41%t reduction in mortality compared to walking 2,700 steps a day. Walking 7,500 steps was associated with a 65% reduction.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted that there is no scientific basis for the need to take 10,000 steps. It originated when a Japanese company launched a pedometer with that name in English. If you get to 10,000 steps there are obvious health benefits, but it is too difficult a goal for most people and not truly necessary.
The process of walking has, perhaps, been overlooked for its health benefits. Fortunately, we are blessed with a number of advantages attained by our unique ability to stand on two feet. According to Shane O’Mara in his wonderful new book, “In Praise of Walking,” “Walking upright has also given us all sorts of other physical advantages. Bipedal walking frees our hands, meaning we are able to carry food, weapons and children. Shifting locomotion to our feet, stabilizing our balance along the spine and hips, has allowed us to throw stones, toss spears, to creep along and attack others with primitive stone axes, to gather up the stolen spoils of assault and combat, and to quietly disappear into the night. We have been able to carry our young – often over great distances – by simply putting one leg in front of the other.
Walking upright makes our minds mobile, and our mobile brains have marched to the far horizons of our planet.” But the benefits of walking aren’t solely confined to our evolutionary history – walking is hugely beneficial for our minds, our bodies and our communities.
Walking is holistic: every aspect of it aids every aspect of one’s being. Walking provides us with a multisensory reading of the world in all its shapes, forms, sounds and feelings, for it uses the brain in multiple ways.
Walking is the ideal form of exercise. You can do it anywhere and you don’t need any special equipment. It is gentle on the knees and the rest of your body. Unlike running, you keep one foot on the ground at all times making it a low impact, joint friendly type of exercise. Not surprising, walkers have a lower risk of exercise-related injuries than runners.
For those of less motivated, there are ways of increasing activity. Set your watch or computer alarm every hour as a reminder to get up and move around. Take phone calls standing up. Get up and do a few exercises or move around during TV commercials. Skip drive throughs as much as possible, instead park your car and walk. Park far away from entrances. Take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators.
Almost any healthy person can safely take up walking. But it is wise to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your health or if you plan to do more strenuous activity. The Get Active Questionnaire can help you determine whether you should talk to your doctor. You can find it at www.health.harvard.edu/GAQ. The form covers people of all ages.
Final Thoughts
Americans typically walk around 4,800 steps a day, Japanese take 7,000 to 7,500, Australians and Swiss nationals take 9,000 to 10,000 and Old Order Amish cover 14,000 to 18,000. This simple activity could be your best health insurance.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. His new book “Science Snippets” is available from Amazon and other book sellers. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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One easy way of exercising is to simply walk more, from 3000 to 10,000 steps per day is recommended. Three thousand is a good start. Brisk walking for 30 minutes for five days each week would be the goal. Walking for two and a half hours a week — that is just 21 minutes a day — can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%. The Harvard Health Letter reports that even a one minute jaunt can pay off. For every minute of brisk walking that women did throughout the day, they lowered the risk of obesity by 5%. 4,400 steps has been associated with a 41%t reduction in mortality compared to walking 2,700 steps a day. Walking 7,500 steps was associated with a 65% reduction.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted that there is no scientific basis for the need to take 10,000 steps. It originated when a Japanese company launched a pedometer with that name in English. If you get to 10,000 steps there are obvious health benefits, but it is too difficult a goal for most people and not truly necessary.
The process of walking has, perhaps, been overlooked for its health benefits. Fortunately, we are blessed with a number of advantages attained by our unique ability to stand on two feet. According to Shane O’Mara in his wonderful new book, “In Praise of Walking,” “Walking upright has also given us all sorts of other physical advantages. Bipedal walking frees our hands, meaning we are able to carry food, weapons and children. Shifting locomotion to our feet, stabilizing our balance along the spine and hips, has allowed us to throw stones, toss spears, to creep along and attack others with primitive stone axes, to gather up the stolen spoils of assault and combat, and to quietly disappear into the night. We have been able to carry our young – often over great distances – by simply putting one leg in front of the other.
Walking upright makes our minds mobile, and our mobile brains have marched to the far horizons of our planet.” But the benefits of walking aren’t solely confined to our evolutionary history – walking is hugely beneficial for our minds, our bodies and our communities.
Walking is holistic: every aspect of it aids every aspect of one’s being. Walking provides us with a multisensory reading of the world in all its shapes, forms, sounds and feelings, for it uses the brain in multiple ways.
Walking is the ideal form of exercise. You can do it anywhere and you don’t need any special equipment. It is gentle on the knees and the rest of your body. Unlike running, you keep one foot on the ground at all times making it a low impact, joint friendly type of exercise. Not surprising, walkers have a lower risk of exercise-related injuries than runners.
For those of less motivated, there are ways of increasing activity. Set your watch or computer alarm every hour as a reminder to get up and move around. Take phone calls standing up. Get up and do a few exercises or move around during TV commercials. Skip drive throughs as much as possible, instead park your car and walk. Park far away from entrances. Take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators.
Almost any healthy person can safely take up walking. But it is wise to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your health or if you plan to do more strenuous activity. The Get Active Questionnaire can help you determine whether you should talk to your doctor. You can find it at www.health.harvard.edu/GAQ. The form covers people of all ages.
Final Thoughts
Americans typically walk around 4,800 steps a day, Japanese take 7,000 to 7,500, Australians and Swiss nationals take 9,000 to 10,000 and Old Order Amish cover 14,000 to 18,000. This simple activity could be your best health insurance.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. His new book “Science Snippets” is available from Amazon and other book sellers. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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