2024-01-19 17:38:20
Are you one of those who underestimate the power of walking? Physical activity is constantly associated with old age or with unfit people, as if it did not bring effective benefits to the body.
However, walking is considered by experts to be a good physical activity — and one of the most democratic. “Walking is a light activity, but it can be done by everyone. It can be gradually intensified, which allows us to control it well and measure its effects”, explains personal trainer Leandro Twin, consultant at Bluefit.
An article from the Harvard University School of Health, published in December 2023, listed surprising benefits that can be enjoyed by everyone by including regular walks in the daily routine.
“Walking is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug for health”, summarizes doctor and professor Thomas Frieden in the university article.
Benefits of walking
The famous American university has been leading a campaign in the United States to convince people to walk more to maintain their health and reduce the country’s high obesity rates. Among the classic benefits that walking can bring are:
Weight loss; Lower blood pressure; Combat heart disease; Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes; Relief from depression; Improved memory; Lower risk of death.
Frieden details, however, that walking can also bring other beneficial effects to health that are less known to the public. Are they:
Neutralizes genes that make you fat
Harvard researchers analyzed 32 genes that promote obesity in more than 12,000 people to determine how much they actually contribute to body weight. Among study participants who walked briskly for regarding an hour a day, the effects of these genes were halved.
A light walk helps lower blood sugar levels and also reduces the desire for sweets Controls addictions
Two studies from the University of Exeter in England found that a 15-minute walk can reduce the desire for chocolate and even reduce the amount of sweets you eat when in stressful situations.
Another research, from Austria, indicated that walking outdoors even for 10 minutes helps reduce the desire to smoke in people who are trying to stop smoking.
Reduces the risk of breast cancer
In reality, any physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer, as obesity and overweight are risk factors for the formation of tumors.
Specifically on walking, a study by the American Cancer Society found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of cancer than those who did not walk three hours a week.
Relieves joint pain
According to the Harvard article, walking reduces arthritis-related pain and walking four to five miles a week can even prevent the disease from forming. Walking protects your joints, especially your knees and hips, by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
Increases immunity
Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of 1,000 volunteers found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least five days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter period and the symptoms were milder.
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