Eleftheria Zapantioti, a graduate of TEFAA Athens, Studio One official trainer, run concept master trainer, personal / group trainer collaborated.
Various studies and evidence now and then confirm what Hippocrates said about 2,000 years ago: "Walking is the best medicine."
According to a study by the University of Cambridge, which involved 334,000 people, walking for just 20 minutes a day increases heart endurance by 30%.
Another study by Public Health England found that brisk walking was enough to reduce early aging to 15%.
And if all of the above is not enough to get you up from your desk right now, then maybe you should keep reading and learn some more important benefits of walking for your health.
It is slimming you
Researchers at Harvard University tested 32 obesity-related genes in more than 12,000 people to determine how they affect weight gain.
They then found that their side effects were halved in those participants who walked briskly for 1 hour a day.
It puts a "brake" on the cravings.
Studies from the University of Exeter have shown that a 15-minute walk can curb your chocolate cravings and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat when you are stressed.
Relieves joint pain
Many studies have shown that walking reduces arthritic pain. In fact, by walking 8-9 km per week, you can prevent the onset of arthritis from the beginning.
Stimulates the immune system
Walking can protect you when there is an outbreak of viruses. In a study of more than 1,000 participants, men and women, it was found that those who walked 20 minutes a day, at least five times a week, had 43% fewer days of illness than those who exercised once a week or less.
But even if they did get sick, the symptoms were milder and the duration of the illness shorter.
It helps the heart
A combined study of research conducted between 1970 and 2017 concluded that walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 31%. In men, the risk of developing coronary heart disease was reduced by 18% for those who walked for at least 30 minutes each day.
According to the charity Stroke Association, a daily 30-minute walk keeps blood pressure under control, reducing the risk of stroke by 27%.
After all, how many steps do you need to take a day?
Researchers from the Department of Exercise and Wellness at the University of Arizona evaluated all the popular suggestions for the number of steps we should take per day while considering excerpts from modern studies.
It is a fact that 10,000 steps/day (about 6-8 km) is a prevalent mantra of good health, which emerged thanks to a marketing campaign of the 1960s for a Japanese pedometer.
Although it seems to be a reasonable assessment of daily activity for healthy adults, it carries risks for some groups, including the elderly and those with a chronic illness.
Based on the latest data, the research uses the following indicators to classify physical activity in healthy adults:
- If you do less than 5,000 steps/day, you are considered to be following a sedentary lifestyle.
- From 5,000 to 7,499 steps / day, your physical activity is "low active".
- From 7,500 to 9,999 steps / day, you are considered "somewhat active".
- The 10,000 steps/day characterize you as "active".
- If you do from 12,500 steps/day, you are classified as "very active".
