Walking for health

There's no doubt about it, walking is good for you. It's good for your heart, it's good for your lungs, it's good for the muscle and bone growth of your children and it's good for your feeling of wellbeing! Strong scientific evidence now supports the many benefits to health of regular walking.

"I have two doctors, my left leg and my right." George Trevelyan, 1913

Health benefits of walking

Studies show that walking can:

Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke

Lower blood pressure

Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile

Reduce body fat

Enhance mental well being

Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis

Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon

Reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes

Help to control body weight

Help osteoarthritis

Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls

Whether you want to walk to improve your general health, to keep fit, to control your weight, or perhaps to recover from a period of ill-health, walking can help. It is something that can be done with children or older family members, it need cost you nothing, and can fit in with any lifestyle, income bracket, culture or domestic circumstance.

Walking for general health and longevity

Regular participation in physical activity (like walking) is associated with reduced mortality rates for both older and younger adults (US Dept of Health 1996). In other words, walkers live longer!

In particular, walking has a high impact on cardiovascular disease. Fit and active individuals have around half the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to unfit inactive people. This level of risk is similar to smoking, high blood pressure or high cholesterol in causing heart disease.

Fit walkers are less likely to fall and suffer injuries such as hip fractures because the bones are strengthened; less likely to sustain injury because joints have a better range of movement and muscles are more flexible; less prone to depression and anxiety; tend to be good sleepers; and are better able to control body weight.

For general health, experts recommend accumulating a total of 30 minutes of brisk walking on most, preferably all days of the week.