The human body works in such a way that in order to maintain its proper functioning it is necessary to be in motion all the time. People who spend most of their lives in a stationary position are much more prone to many diseases, including heart failure or disorders of the digestive tract.
Researchers who work with the prerequisites for obesity argue that excess weight is more significantly influenced by lifestyle (human activity), and only then by the caloric content of food.
Walking is a beneficial physical exercise that can help people maintain their health and look good in old age. This is a great way to manage your excess weight.
Let us highlight the main advantages of this type of activity:
| Slim figure | Systematic walking is an effective way to get rid of extra pounds. People who have problems with weight in the gluteal and thigh areas begin to lose volume within a few weeks of starting training. This means that walking promotes rapid metabolism, which, in turn, does not allow excess fat to accumulate in the body. |
| Full sleep | Walking helps reduce the level of the hormone cortisol, thereby improving sleep. Walking is best done in the evening, after dinner. This will allow you to digest food efficiently and a full stomach will not cause inconvenience during sleep. Also, if a person is in a state of strong anxiety, then walking is a great way to get rid of stress. |
| Strong immunity | It has been scientifically proven that walking allows blood to circulate actively, delivering oxygen to all parts of the body. There are several elements in the blood that help the body fight various infections. Blood circulation allows the protective elements to circulate in the human body, destroying all harmful bacteria that threaten health. |
| Durable Skeleton | The most well-known age-related bone problem is osteoporosis. Natural wear and tear on the skeleton can be delayed by walking. Walking is considered a moderate-impact exercise, which, combined with the calcium consumed, will have a positive effect on bone health. |
| Correct functioning of the heart | Cardio training combined with walking will help improve the quality of the heart and blood vessels. Walking helps train the heart muscles, allowing them to work harder and better. |
| Protection against hypertension | Hypertension affects a large number of people who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle. However, morning and evening walks can protect the body from this disease. Thanks to walking, the deposition of excess fatty tissue is prevented, the walls of blood vessels are strengthened, so an abundance of blood passes through them with normal division. Additional adipose tissue constricts blood vessels, which causes high blood pressure. |
| Always in a good mood | Walking, like any physical activity, helps produce joy hormones, giving a person positive emotions and a feeling of happiness. Walking stimulates mental abilities as the brain receives more oxygen. For this reason, a person begins to look at everyday things more logically and judiciously, finding possible causes of problems and ways to solve them. |
| Healthy lungs | The fresh air that a person breathes while walking can improve the functioning of the lungs and respiratory muscles. The air that people consume indoors contains a much lower concentration of oxygen. Therefore, walking is much healthier than indoor exercise. |
| No to diabetes | Diabetes, as is known, can be transmitted along a hereditary line. But systematic walking in the fresh air will help break this painful chain. Thanks to walking, metabolism improves, so blood sugar and insulin levels are much better regulated. |
| New acquaintances | While walking, you can easily meet like-minded people with whom you can later organize joint recreational walks. Live communication along with physical activity is the best cure for all problems. |
It would seem that there might be some contraindications to going out into the fresh air and walking a couple of kilometers around the park. But, alas, long walks are not recommended for everyone. Be especially careful if you:
The main goals can be divided into the following groups:
Depending on the goal, the speed and walking time will change, which we will talk about later.
According to the speed level, walking can be divided into the following intensity groups:
| Intensity | Speed, km/h | Notes |
| Low | 4 | It is considered the most comfortable, usually at this speed most of us leisurely walk, looking at the surrounding landscapes. If the body is healthy, then the pulse will not exceed 60-80 beats per minute. A good exercise for the body if you walk at this pace for at least 20 minutes. |
| Average | 7 | It has a healing and muscle strengthening effect. A walk at this speed for 35 minutes can be considered a workout. Allows you to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, lose excess weight, and stabilize blood pressure. It is necessary to ensure that the pulse does not rise above 80 beats/min. Once this happens, slow down. |
| High | 15 | Used in race walking competitions. Without mastering the correct technique, it will not be possible to develop such speed. |
To select the optimal load on the body, it is necessary to take into account not only the speed, but also the number of steps per unit of time, because the length of each step is individual.
First, plan a route that will be away from highways. If a regular walk is too easy for you and you want to increase the load, then add inclined roads, steps, etc. to your routes.
There are special walking routes used by people who want to improve their health or test their strength. Let us give well-known examples.
Every year since 1982, a non-profit event has been held in New York (USA) The Great Saunter(Russian - Great Ghost). Organizers say you need to walk 64,000 steps. The original mission of the public walk was the desire to reclaim the coastal zone from commercial developers who were trying to seize tidbits of land and limit public access to it. Thanks to the efforts of everyone who took part, this was possible and today park areas have been organized in these places.
If you decide to take part in the event, then be prepared for a serious load - the average time for participants to complete the distance is 11.5 hours.
In Spanish the name sounds like El Camino de Santiago. They call it the network of roads along which people in ancient times walked to the supposed tomb of the Apostle James. The path is an international UNESCO heritage site. The longest route, the so-called French route (passes through the cities of Spain and France, shown below on the map) is about 800 km. There is both a cycling and walking option. All roads are properly marked, making it extremely difficult to get lost.
Walking can replace traveling by transport over short distances. You can also refuse to use the elevator in favor of walking up the stairs - this is also a great way to burn calories.
You should start walking with a warm-up. The first five minutes the pace is slow, gradually developing into a brisk one. You should not ignore correct posture; you need to keep your back straight, your stomach should be pulled in a little, and your shoulders should be straightened.
The foot is placed on the heel, rolling onto the toe. The front of the foot helps push off the ground. In order to speed up, you don’t have to take a wider step, you just need to make it faster.
Keep your arms correctly bent at the elbow joint, moving them in the direction from the waist to the chest and back. The speed is also reduced gradually. The last minutes of walking pass at the same slow pace, while you need to breathe deeply and smoothly.
You can go hiking in any area, in any weather. Of course, it is best to do this in parks, since the air there is cleaner.
You should only walk on level paths, for example, on soft ground. This will ensure your feet have proper cushioning. Shoes should be of high quality, with soles that are not too thin and hard. For this activity, it is best to use specialized sports shoes that are designed specifically for this type of activity.
Not long ago there was a boom in fitness bracelets and smart watches, which are equipped with many sensors. In fact, they make our task much easier - we can automatically measure the distance traveled, speed and number of steps. There are many useful programs for smartphones. For example, here are some popular apps that allow you to measure the number of steps and distance traveled:
| iOS OS | Android OS |
| Walker | Noom |
| Pacer Pedometer & Step Tracker | Accupedo |
| Stepz | Google Fit |
| Steps | Mi fit |
| Footsteps Pedometer | Endomondo |
Sports doctor, nutritionist, rehabilitation specialist
Provides general consultations on nutrition, selection of a diet for pregnant women, weight correction, selection of nutrition for exhaustion, selection of nutrition for obesity, selection of an individual diet and therapeutic nutrition. Also specializes in modern methods of functional testing in sports; athlete recovery.
Playing sports is usually associated with grueling training and constant physical activity. Many people find it very difficult to go to the gym or aerobics after work. But you really want to maintain good physical shape and take care of your health. This is where walking comes to the rescue.
Of course, many will be surprised, but walking is as effective as running or working out in the gym. A 1-hour walk burns the same amount of calories as a 30-minute run.
Where to begin? First of all, you need to reconsider your lifestyle. You need to start with the little things. For example, walk to and from work, or if it’s very far, then at least get off a few stops earlier and continue on foot. Summer holidays should also be active. You need to choose places where you can visit local attractions and go on excursions. Ideally, walks through the forest or into the mountains. Refusal to use the elevator is also a big plus for health and figure.
Start by going down the steps, and then, when shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat gradually disappear, you can go down and up.
The benefits of walking for women are undeniable. The most ordinary walks improve blood circulation in the pelvis. Stagnant processes in this area significantly worsen the quality of intimate life and lead to inflammatory processes in the uterus. With regular walking, you can lose a lot of weight, because women with age, due to hormonal fluctuations, are more prone to obesity than men.
For men, walking is a must. Regular moderate exercise stimulates testosterone production, improves sperm activity and is an excellent prevention of prostatitis.
Everyone knows that there are many active points and nerve endings on the foot that are connected to all human organs. When walking, absolutely all active points are massaged, which has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole.
Walking can be done at any convenient time in any area. Of course, it is better to walk through the forest, park area or by the sea. Fresh air is a good workout for the lungs. And walking is much more effective on uneven surfaces, ideally on sand or forest paths - this is an additional workout for the muscles.
Walking for weight loss is a little different than just walking for health. You can't lose weight just by going shopping. You need to walk at an average pace - 90-120 steps per minute, and regularly - every other day, every two, gradually increasing your walks to daily ones. The pace should be increased gradually, the main thing is that the person feels comfortable while walking.
The duration of continuous walking should be at least an hour. This is due to the fact that burning fat reserves begins only after 40 minutes of continuous walking at an average pace.
And, of course, you need to adjust your diet - limit the consumption of fatty and sweet foods, eliminate harmful foods - chips, sweet carbonated drinks. That is, you need to ensure that your own calories are burned, and not again "eaten".
But under no circumstances should you put weights on your legs or arms - this can put additional pressure on the joints and distort your posture. It is best to use a lightweight backpack with a uniform filling, such as sand or a weighted vest, as a weighting agent.
This will both increase walking speed and increase the load on the muscles of the upper body. You need to start with swinging your arms, bent at a right angle, with a comfortable amplitude.
This is ordinary walking, only with poles - an imitation of skiing. This is the most effective way of walking, suitable for any age and weight. Nordic walking greatly reduces the load on your joints. Surprisingly, just by adding arm movement with poles, this activity burns 45% more calories than regular walking.
Anyone starting to walk for the purpose of losing weight is primarily interested in the question of how many calories are burned when walking. There is no clear answer to this question; it depends on several factors:
On average, in one hour of walking at a moderate pace, a person weighing 55-65 kg burns 200 calories. If you use weights or switch to an average walking pace, then, accordingly, more calories will be burned.
Despite the fact that walking is a natural daily activity for any person, and the benefits of it are obvious, regular walks at a moderate pace have contraindications :
In some cases, doctors may recommend walking in place. For example, in extreme stages of obesity or in some cardiovascular diseases, it is recommended to start physical activity by walking in place. Then, when the body gets used to the stress, you should move on to walking. You can also practice walking in place if you can’t go outside. To increase the effectiveness of your exercises, you can make vigorous movements with your arms in time with your walking, raise your knees high and try to walk on your toes.
Walking is the easiest and most effective way to keep yourself in good physical shape. For some diseases, walking remains the only available sport. In addition, regular exercise in the fresh air makes a huge contribution to health and longevity, and is an excellent way to combat stress. The main thing is not to overdo it - walks should be enjoyable
If you don’t have the desire or ability to jog every day, you can use a more convenient way to train. Regular walking also provides training for muscles, the respiratory system, and helps speed up metabolism.
What are the benefits of walking?
The benefits of walking are due to the fact that several muscle groups are involved in the process, because the movements of the limbs are made in the vertical, horizontal, longitudinal direction.
This type of activity depends on the speed of movement. The larger it is, the more blood circulation is activated. The benefits of walking , can be represented as a list:
A sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, inflammatory, congestive and degenerative diseases of internal organs. Every person needs a load , to spend the energy received from food, bringing more blood to the tissues. To ensure a sufficient level, you can go to the gym, train at home, run or walk. Walking improves endurance , fight the effects of stress, thanks to the increased supply of oxygen, metabolic products are promptly removed.
If you walk to work, your calorie consumption per minute increases. This is the prevention of obesity, as well as ensuring uniform energy expenditure. The benefits of walking are important for pregnant women . Due to changes in hormonal levels, a woman can rapidly gain weight during this period. As the fetus grows, she becomes clumsy and lazy, but cannot engage in intense exercise. Walking helps to cope with congestion, prevent excess weight, and provide yourself and your baby with a sufficient amount of oxygen.
The benefits of walking for both men and women include the fight against excess weight. There is a caveat that it is necessary to ensure a fast pace of steps, at least 6 km/h. This is how intense calorie loss occurs. In addition, you need to pay attention to the fact that the walk should be regular, combined with proper nutrition and other types of exercise.
Types of training
Depending on the purpose of the exercise, a person must create an effective training program . The benefits of walking will only be if you choose the optimal type of training and adhere to its rules.
Wellness
This type of load is suitable for use in the morning or afternoon due to the fact that it increases performance and provides a lot of energy. The benefits of walking will be noticeable if you adhere to the recommended speed. The walk should be at a pace of 1 km. 20 minutes in the fresh air. To prevent disruption of the respiratory system, you should not talk during classes. You need to start training at 2 km, gradually increasing the distance while maintaining speed.
There are several paces of movement for different age groups. Young people should focus on the speed of movement, and older people should focus on the duration.
Scandinavian
A special feature of this sport is the presence of an additional accessory, poles, like ski poles. The foot should roll from heel to toe; when leaning on your right leg, you need to rest your left hand on the ground. They help to overcome the path over rough terrain, downhill, without additional load on the shoulder girdle. The advantage of this type of training is that no additional preparation is needed. First you need to start from a small distance.
Sports
The benefits of fast walking are due to the absence of the foot hitting the ground, while the muscles, cardiovascular system, and breathing are trained. The peculiarity of this type of movement is steps with the support of one limb over the entire area without switching to running. In this case, you need to rotate your pelvis when changing legs, quickly move your arms.
Energy
This is one of the areas of fitness that involves alternating movements, each of which has its own purpose. They are aimed at turning on energy channels, based on Eastern practices. The impact on active zones occurs through actions with hands and feet according to a certain algorithm.
For weight loss
To influence fat deposits, you need to move your legs at high speed. To achieve the effect, you need to take 6,000-10,000 steps daily. A pace of 100 steps per minute allows you to get rid of 200-260 kcal/hour.
If you have a high degree of obesity, as well as unfavorable weather or the absence of favorable conditions for long walking, you can walk on the spot. For the exercise to be effective, you need to have a high understanding of your legs, lift each leg at least 40 times and walk for 20-25 minutes. With regular repetition, the body's endurance increases, metabolism accelerates, and fat reserves disappear.
How to walk profitably
Walking is the choice of many, since it is an effective, but not exhausting form of exercise, allowing you to enjoy your surroundings and notice the results even from a short distance. To enhance the effect, you need to pay attention to several points:
Whether a person chooses a sporty type of walk, any walking activity will be beneficial. This includes going up or down stairs, walking to work, and during breaks.
It is recommended to do it a day several visits to evenly distribute the load and train the muscles consistently. The recommended 10 thousand steps are about 8 km, they can be divided into 4 parts, then each will be about 25-30 minutes, which will not take as long as walking for 2 hours.
To make exercise enjoyable and not cause harm to your feet, you need to choose the right shoes. These are sneakers or sneakers with soft rubber soles that bend when walking. When moving, your back should be straight, your head raised, your gaze directed forward.
To reach the goal of 10,000 steps daily, you can walk throughout the day, talk on the phone, cover the distance on the stairs, get off public transport 1 stop before the desired one.
Contraindications for exercise
Due to the fact that there are many types of training, a person with any disease can choose one that will not harm, but will only bring benefit. But there are restrictions under which it is better to refrain from walking. They are associated with the state of the cardiovascular system, when an increase in its activity can harm a person:
The classification of IHD includes many conditions: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, post-infarction cardiosclerosis, arrhythmia. After an MI, a healing, Scandinavian type of step is allowed, but a special case must be discussed with a doctor.
This type of active activity, such as walking, is the result of the work of various muscle groups. Their activation helps to maintain the tone of the whole body. While walking, not only muscles and limbs are involved, but also neurophysiological and biomechanical processes are activated, which have a positive complex effect on the body.
The legs move while walking in the vertical, transverse, and longitudinal planes. As the tempo increases, the amplitude of vertical movements, the activity of the ligamentous-muscular system, and the intensity of energy consumption increase.
Engaging the leg muscles leads to increased blood flow. This contributes to a more intensive enrichment of internal organs with oxygen and acceleration of metabolic processes occurring in the body.
Taking regular walks in the fresh air promotes health, having the following positive effects:
The benefit of walking for men is to relieve congestion in the pelvis. This significantly reduces the risk of developing prostatitis and other ailments.
Both walking and running have almost the same effect. Both types of vigorous activity involve similar muscles and parts of the musculoskeletal system. The difference is that running requires a greater degree of physical fitness and endurance.
You should start running only after strengthening your body by walking on a regular basis. Jogging is recommended for people who are not overweight. Otherwise, high loads can harm the heart and joints.
Walking does not require good physical fitness. An intense one-hour walk, according to doctors, can not only replace a half-hour jog, but is also more beneficial for health.
Hiking, which aims to improve health, is suitable for both men and women, regardless of age. The pace and duration, route and time are selected individually. The guideline is your own well-being. Walking, despite its versatility, has a number of indications and contraindications.
Walking is contraindicated for people suffering from:
Walking should not be practiced after a heart attack or stroke.
The usefulness of walking lies in observing three clear principles:
The choice of intensity and duration of walks should be based on the well-being and condition of the body. No sudden surges.
The duration and pace of walking should increase without any sudden jumps or transitions.
You need to take walks every day. If daily walking is not possible, it is acceptable to walk for at least 30 minutes three to four times a week.
What time should you choose to walk?Your daily walk should include the route to and from work. If you have a long walk to work, you need to train yourself to walk several stops. Morning walks invigorate, and evening walks promote good and sound sleep.
On hot days it is better to walk in the morning or evening. Frosty weather in the winter season, with the exception of extremely low temperatures, stimulates a fast pace and a good load on the body.
Depends on the individual physical characteristics of the body. A good exercise for an untrained person can be obtained by low-intensity walking, at a pace of 4 km per hour, at which the pulse reaches 80 beats per minute.
The duration of the walk at first should be 20 minutes. In the future, the walking time is increased to 30-40 minutes. Depending on the individual, this may take from several weeks to months.
The duration of walks in order to achieve a healing effect should be at least 35 minutes, subject to a walking speed of 7 km/h and a heart rate of 65-80 beats per minute. Accelerated health walking has a beneficial effect on health, which is manifested by:
The duration of “training” with accelerated walking ranges from several months to a year, until walking a distance of 6-10 km stops tiring. When the goal is achieved, physical fitness is maintained with various loads, without stopping regular walks at an accelerated pace.
It puts stress on all the main systems of the body, strengthens and increases its endurance. The difference from normal walking is that there is no advancement, and the effectiveness remains similar.
Effectively corrects well-being. You should start climbing the stairs by refusing to use the elevator. If your physical condition allows, you can not limit yourself to climbing to the desired floor, but reach the last one. When vertical movements stop causing pain in the calf muscles, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat go away, the climbs are made more difficult by first standing on your toes, stepping on each step, and then stepping over one.
Climbing stairs develops and strengthens leg muscles, stabilizes blood pressure, and burns several times more calories than running. You can achieve a positive effect when climbing stairs when the walking duration is at least 20-35 minutes. The time to reach this duration is individual for each person.
The benefits of walking on horizontal and vertical planes for the human body are multifaceted. You can start walking at absolutely any time. The main thing is to refuse to use the elevator and transport, getting to work and home, if the distance allows, on foot.
Nordic walking - the path to health 
How to burn fat using cardio training
When a trainer in the gym says something clever about “ functional» exercises, you can tell him that there is nothing more functional than walking(and immediately leave it* - joke) is the most natural physical process for our body.
Meanwhile, many homo sapiens strive to free themselves as much as possible from upright walking. They get into cars and circle around the supermarket parking lot to walk 50 meters less, and if they park right in front of the entrance - and walk only 10 meters, instead of 100 - this is a huge success, the brain rewards the “winner” with a fresh portion of hormones and, but ...that's not what we're talking about now.
Humanity has come up with a lot to help people walk less: escalators, elevators, electric scooters, Segways, cars, sofas.
Meanwhile, walking is the simplest, most natural and, as scientific research shows, very useful for prolonging your life. So, without further sentimentality, let’s turn to how and what scientists found out about the most functional exercise in the world. We have translated and adapted the scientific text from the website health.harvard.edu, let's see together what scientists have found out - how good walking is.
It even sounds a little funny, but if you let the experts at health.harvard.edu think logically: the effect of physical exercise depends on three components - intensity, duration And total frequency of classes.
To put it very roughly: you can quickly push yourself while running, or do the same work calmly and thoughtfully, covering the same distance over a longer period of time - the load will be approximately the same, but the time spent will be different. By the way, there is an opinion that the key thing in the load is the total work done, and not the intensity with which you did it. There is a grain in this, but not everything is so simple, of course.
The reputable American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine recommend walking at least 30 minutes a day and at least 5 days a week. The minimum recommendations from the same organizations for running: 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
From the point of view of load efficiency, in a minute of time the runner overtakes the walker, but firstly, it is not clear whether there is any point in rushing, and secondly, slowing down clearly has its advantages and if you think about it, there are quite a lot of them, starting from the fact that there is no need to change sweaty T-shirt and ending with a much lower risk of injury, including.
For example, a 70 kg person while running, spends about 500-600 kcal per hour, the same person when walking you will spend about 250 kcal per hour. Roughly speaking, in terms of energy expenditure, half an hour of running corresponds to an hour of walking.
To be fair, we need to compare here what is additionally burned (for example, if the same person had been lying on the couch for that hour and not moving anything, he would have spent only about 40-50 kcal per hour).
So walking gives additional 200 kcal/hour relative to rest, and running - respectively, on average +500 kcal/hour (for this 70-kilogram person).
In any case, if you need to work on a calorie deficit, think about what is more comfortable and to your liking - 2-3 hours of walking or an hour of running. The effect will be the same for the amount of calories burned.
The opinions of experts and scientists on the benefits of walking can begin with Hippocrates, who said about 2,400 years ago, “Walking is the best medicine for man.” Previously, of course, they said all sorts of things and even treated with mercury and bloodletting, but in the case of Hippocrates there is scientific evidence. Hippocrates is great. Do like Hippocrates.
Two scientists from University College London conducted a meta-analysis (and as you already know, this is a very reliable type of scientific data) of all studies on walking from 1970 to 2007. They combed through 4,295 articles from which they identified 18 studies that met their high standard of validity. These 18 studies included a total of 459,833 people who did not have heart disease at least at the start of the studies. This group of people was followed for an average of 11.3 years and monitored for various diseases, mainly of the cardiovascular system (heart attack, strokes, vascular surgery, angioplasty, angina, and deaths).
So, the conclusions in favor of walking are clear:
– Regular walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 31%.
– Those who walked regularly were 32% less likely to die during these 11.3 years of follow-up than those who did not exercise.
Here is more reliable data with similar conclusions and figures - also a meta-analysis of seven large-scale studies from Harvard University:
– Among 10,269 Harvard graduates, walking at least 9 miles per week (just over 2 km per day) was consistent reducing the risk of death by 22%.
– Among 44,452 healthcare industry workers, those who walked at least 30 minutes a day had an 18% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
– Among 72,488 nurses, those who walked at least 3 hours a week had a 35% lower risk of death from a heart attack and a 34% lower risk of death from stroke.
These studies excluded those who already had heart disease, but could walking help those who already have it? There is a review study on this topic. The researchers reviewed 48 scientific papers involving 8,946 patients and the conclusion was similar: moderate exercise (such as walking or moderate exercise on an exercise bike) for 30 minutes 3 times a week - reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 26% (this is among those who already had problems with it) and a 20% reduction in the overall risk of death from all causes.
There is even a randomized clinical trial on walking, which also guarantees high reliability. In a 10-year study of 229 postmenopausal women, some subjects added 1 mile of walking per day to their regular activity, while others did not. The result was that those who walked had an 82% lower risk of heart disease.
And if the clearly proven reduction in the risk of death and cardiovascular disease does not convince you that walking is important and necessary, there is also a whole bunch of positive effects from walking noted in various studies: reducing the risk of dementia, diabetes, depression, colorectal cancer, obesity, vascular disease and even erectile dysfunction.
It is clear that if you are in a hurry (to catch an antelope with a spear, for example), then running is obviously preferable to walking.
But the difference between these two activities is not only speed. During walking, at least one foot is in contact with the ground at any given time. While running, the runner spends part of the time in flight. And the higher the speed, the more time the runner spends in the air, without contact with the surface. Elite runners spend up to 45% of their time “flying.”
But what takes off must also fall if it is not in Earth's orbit. During landing, runners subject their bodies to a stress equivalent to approximately three times their own body weight. Over the course of a brisk mile of running, a typical runner's legs absorb about 100 tons of impact forces. In this regard, running can both strengthen the body and harm (everything, of course, depends on many conditions and, above all, each individual person – Zozhnik’s note).
Ultimately, the risk of ever suffering an exercise-related injury while walking is very low (1 to 5%), but while running it is high (20 to 70%).
Cardiologists tell their patients that they are physically fit enough for sex if climbing 2-3 floors of stairs does not cause any problems.
Researchers from Canada monitored 17 subjects with an average age of 64 years during normal walking, strength training and climbing stairs. It turned out that walking up stairs is the most energy-intensive activity - about 50% more expensive than regular strength training. So walking up the stairs is a powerful load that should not be neglected. Be happy if you live on a high floor (and if there is no elevator there yet, then this is just a gift to your health).
A Harvard study also found that people who averaged at least 8 floors per day were 33% less likely to die than those who climbed almost no stairs.
By the way, on Zozhnik there is a whole gorgeous article about the benefits of walking on steps with interesting scientific calculations.
An important question to ask in the wake of these 18 high-quality observational studies on walking: is it walking that causes these health benefits, or do genetically healthier people simply tend to walk more? Do scientists confuse cause and effect?
One European study sheds light on this quantum uncertainty. A huge study was conducted in Finland, in which 16,000 healthy same-sex twins took part. The study started back in 1975 and during 20(!) years of observation, 1253 subjects died.
Moreover, those who exercised for at least 30 minutes at least 6 times a month at walking intensity had a 43% chance of dying than those who did not exercise at all.
The study also gives a clear answer to the question about genetics: If one of the twins was engaged, and the other was not, then he had an average of 56% less chance of dying during these 20 years of observation.
Friends, the science is clear - walking is good for your health, life expectancy, well-being, blood pressure, has the lowest risk of injury and allows you to burn a noticeable amount of calories.
Is it difficult to park at the entrance? On the contrary, park at the farthest and most free point and enjoy the extra meters. Walk to work, to the metro, to the train, evaluate where you can replace transport with a walk and do it.
Take a walk during your lunch break instead of sitting around the whole time.
Walk in good health. Walk more.
