Walking has many health benefits, including weight loss and maintenance, decreased blood sugar levels, and reduced chronic stress.
Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise per week, as recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services and backed by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Researchers Jerome GJ, WR Boyer, EE Bustamante, et al. The American Heart Association has released a scientific statement on the need of increasing equity in the promotion of physical exercise for adults.
Although walking for 20 minutes a day may not seem like it will get you to your goal of 150 minutes of physical activity per week, experts suggest that it will if you break it down day by day.
The truth is that fewer than one-quarter of individuals get the required amount of physical activity, and that number drops even further for specific demographics, such as those of advanced age, women, and lower socioeconomic level.
Here are some of the other things you can do besides walking to improve your health and why walking is so important.
How Much Extra Steps Are Required?
The scientific statement draws attention to the fact that most people do not manage to keep up with the standards, but the authors believe this is an opportunity to concentrate community efforts on physical activity programs in areas where they are most desperately needed.
While highlighting the low rates of physical activity among certain groups “will not address the underlying structural inequities that deserve attention,” the authors argued that it is still important to encourage exercise, particularly among adults who have “both low physical activity levels and poor cardiovascular health.”
Reasons why walking is good for your heart.
Walking raises your heart rate, allowing your heart to transport more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, according to Smadar Kort, MD, Director of the Echocardiography and Structural Heart Imaging Program at the Stony Brook Heart Institute. It also strengthens the heart and helps the blood circulate throughout the body, which might reduce blood pressure.
As an added bonus, “walking can help a person maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if he or she is overweight, and it can lower blood pressure,” said Kort.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking regularly can help reduce levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol while simultaneously raising levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol.Since excessive “bad” cholesterol can cause artery blockage and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, this may be another positive step toward better heart health.
In addition to lowering the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, regular exercise helps reduce inflammation throughout the body.In addition, it has positive effects on your state of mind.
Stress can be reduced by going for a walk, especially in natural settings, as Kort put it. It’s common knowledge that stress is harmful to our bodies in many ways.
Can you recommend any further heart-healthy pursuits?
Not everybody should or even could walk every day. According to Kort, there are a wide variety of additional ways to boost your cardiovascular fitness.
Exercises that benefit the heart, mind, and body include yoga, walking,running, swimming, cycling, dancing, playing soccer, tennis, or pickleball, lifting weights, climbing stairs, jumping rope, hiking, and even gardening or heavy yard work like digging.
“Any kind of exercise is good!” “All of these are fantastic, and they can count toward your weekly exercise,” Kort added. It’s always the right time to start working out. People who have never exercised before are not excluded.
Christopher Tanayan, MD, Director of Sports Cardiology at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told Verywell that people should strive to distribute the minutes they spend exercising throughout the week.
Tanayan stated that those who use a variety of cardio equipment, such as cycles, ellipticals, and stairs, “achieve the recommendation more easily and consistently than sticking to one routine,” since they are less likely to get bored.
Kort noted that if you haven’t been active previously, you should chat to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. They can advise you on the safest things to do and suggest a schedule that will be best for your health.
Related:8 Ways to encourage daily walk
Alternate Methods to Improve Cardiac Health
Experts believe that in addition to staying active and engaging in physical activity, there are a few additional things you can do to strengthen your heart.
- Incorporate a wide range of healthy foods into your diet (such as plant-based proteins, seafood, and colorful veggies)
- Reduce your consumption of sugary and salty foods. This includes things like soda and candy.
- Don’t smoke, and if you already do, please stop.
- Take control of your anxiety.
- Visit your doctor regularly for checkups and screenings.
Source:Verywell Health