Benefits of Walking
The easiest form of sport: walking
Today we are talking about the simplest and easiest form of sport: walking.
“Mens sana in corpore sano”. The ancient romans had already understood the idea of a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Science continues to ask questions about the most natural human action: walking. A movement that, despite its simplicity, brings countless benefits to our health, as demonstrated by studies conducted in recent years. Walking to keep weight under control and prevent certain widespread diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, stress, obesity, osteoporosis, stroke and heart attack.
For many of us the question is How much and how fast do you have to walk to be able to gain results? There are many studies on the subject.
Slow or fast walking?
Researcher at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris carried out a study, on slow walking and cardiovascular death in well-functioning older people (the first of this kind). In the study, which lasted five years, over 3,000 people of both sexes, aged between 65 and 85, were involved. During the five-year study, 209 participants died; 99 from cancer, 59 from cardiovascular disease, 51 from other causes. Analysis for specific causes of death showed that participants with low walking speed had about a threefold increased risk of cardiovascular death compared with participants who walked faster.
The study concluded that “slow walking speed” in older people is strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Better to walk than to run
Another study carried out by researchers at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Verona, and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has identified that a constant speed of 4 km/h is the perfect walking pace to “burn fat”.
Researchers found that an increase in walking speed did not cause fat oxidation; otherwise known as “fat burning”. Instead, the study showed that the highest fat and carbohydrate burning occurred at a constant walking speed of 4 km/h, about 2.5 mph. Increasing; the walking speed to 5 km/h or 6km/h did not increase the fat burning rate. Although the participants burned more carbohydrates when they increased their walking speed, researchers found the moderate walking pace promoted the highest fat to carbohydrate burning ratio, which is recommend for weight loss. In practical terms; an overweight person weighing 70 Kg who walks for 40 minutes at a pace of 4km/h burns 150 calories and 6 g of fat. Increasing the walking speed to 6 km/h, the same person would burn the same amount of calories in the lesser time of 27 minutes but the fat burnt would only be 3 g.
In conclusion, researchers say, it may be more reasonable to prescribe and encourage low-intensity exercise, which is more feasible and acceptable to obese people, than to insist on more intense exercise programs that may not provide any additional fat-burning benefits.
How much walking and why it’s important to walk
30 minutes, 3 days a week, is enough to start getting the benefit of this simple but often neglected form of exercise. Ideally, you would want to gradually increase this to 5 times a week. A few of the benefits walking can provide include:
- Walking prevents type 2 diabetes
- Walking strengthen your heart
- Walking is good for your brain
- Walking is good for your bones
- Walking helps alleviate the symptoms of depression
- Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer
- Walking improves fitness
- Walking improves physical function
The list goes on. Suffice to say that walking is certainly good for you!
How can far infrared clothing help?
The fabric used to make the ABSOLUTE 360 garments absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the human body and re-emits the absorbed radiation as FIR waves, which interact with the human body, promoting body stimulation. This stimulation leads to several benefits. For the purpose of this blog post we are only going to list a couple of them:
- Improved microcirculation – FIR waves boosts the flow of blood to tissue throughout the body, delivering vital nutrients while increasing oxygen levels.
- Improved cell metabolism – FIR waves stimulate cell performance and regeneration, while the increased circulation nourishes the cells with higher levels of oxygen, further improving cell health. Enhanced cell metabolism means that injuries heal quicker, pain subsides fasters and stamina and endurance are increased. Post-exercise recovery time is almost halved. The re-absorption of lactic acid is considerably quicker, reducing soreness and muscle fatigue.
The benefits listed above are only the beginning towards a life of well-being. Start your “wellness” journey today…
