A recent study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed interesting findings about walking and it’s impact on your health. According to the results, one long walk everyday is better for your health than several short ones especially if you lead a primarily sedentary lifestyle and don’t exercise much.
Experts agree that more steps in a single walking session go a longer way in preserving and improving your heart health than smaller bouts of walking. 15 minutes of uninterrupted walking lets you walk 1,500 steps which is an ideal workout to get the heart really pumping. While many people aim for 10,000 steps a day, BBC reports that, that number came from a Japanese advertisement for pedometers and was not based on actual scientific enquiry. However, it is still agreed upon that the more steps the better.
How was the study conducted?
The study was based on data from a focus group 33,560 strong with adults aged 40-79 in the UK. These individuals walked fewer than 8,000 steps a day and were grouped by how long they walked for using a step counter every week for eight years. The groups were: less than 5 minutes, 5-10 minutes, 10-15 minutes, 15 minutes or more. The researchers from the University of Sydney and the Universidad Europea in Spain, diligently tracked their health for years on end.
According to BBC, the researchers took into account factors like obesity, smoking habits or high cholesterol habits to control the results as it was not clear if the individuals were already fit or not from the study. However, the results of the study were really intriguing to say the least.
How longer walks impact your health
The findings revealed that people who walked for longer stretches rather than in short bursts lived longer lives on an average. Longer walks reduced risks of heart problems and greatly improved the condition of the cardiovascular system. Even among those who were inactive and did not do strenuous workouts, a longer walk greatly lowered the risk of death. Simply tweaking one’s habits by increasing the duration significantly improved the quality of life, the research found.
According to Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, co-lead researcher of the study, “”We tend to place all the emphasis on the number of steps or the total amount of walking but neglect the crucial role of patterns, for example ‘how’ walking is done.
“This study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximise their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time, ideally for at least 10-15 minutes, when possible.” Taking longer walks is especially recommended for the elderly and those above 65 years of age.
While walking may not be the only thing that leads to living a longer life, consciously choosing to take extended ones can definitely contribute towards it. So, instead of opting for short bursts of walking where the heart does not get enough of workout, go for a longer one next time. Remember, the steps don’t matter if it doesn’t get the heart pumping.
Disclaimer: The information in the article is for informational purpose only. Always consult a doctor before starting any diet or fitness routine. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.