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Walk Faster to Live Longer
We know that walking is good for us, but how good? It helps us to lose weight and keep fit. But is it an effective way to increase our lifespan? Will it give you a longer and more fulfilling life? The answer appears to be, yes.
In a recent study that was published in the British Medical Journal the message is clear: if you walk slowly you are 3 times more likely to develop heart problems. The simple act of taking a regular brisk walk can ward off heart problems and make you live longer.
continued below ....“Analyses 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. There was no relation with cancer mortality. In stratified analyses, cardiovascular mortality was increased across various strata defined by sex, median age, median body mass index (BMI), and level of physical activity”. Dumurgier et al, 2009
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The reason given by the researchers at University Pierre and Marie Curie in France is that walking increases the levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) in the blood. HDL helps to protect the arteries from the damaging LDL (bad cholesterol). It is this bad cholesterol which increases heart disease and other heart problems.
Walking also helps to keep older people fitter and less likely to suffer from falls and injuries too. As we age the amount and type of exercise that we do reduces, and as we become less flexible and less agile, exercise reduces and bones and muscles weaken. However, walking is something that most people are still able to do effectively into very old age.
“These findings show that assessment of motor performances in older people with simple measures such as walking speed can be performed easily and that the role of fitness in preserving life and function in older age is important.” Dumurgier et al, 2009
References
Slow walking speed and cardiovascular death in well functioning older adults: prospective cohort study
Julien Dumurgier, Alexis Elbaz, Pierre Ducimetière, Béatrice Tavernier, Annick Alpérovitch, Christophe Tzourio
BMJ 2009;339:b4460, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b4460 (Published 10 November 2009)
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3 Responses to “Walk Faster to Live Longer”
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Hi, Seems there are a lot of misunderstandings around about walking to keeping fit… I too read that if you walk to keep then it has to be a brisk one that raises your heart rate. A gentle stroll just isn’t good enough.
Steve
Steve, that is right. This research is specifically looking at the effect of walking on cholesterol levels and heart problems in the elderly. Maybe the benefit is simply regular exercise. Walking slowly is not exercise, it is walking! Walking quickly can be intensive. Speed walking is an Olympic sport. The faster you go, the more intensive it becomes, and the fitter you get.
However, for younger people, there are more efficient ways to get fit and lose weight than walking.
Saying that, I did once read that the main reason people fail to get fit with walking alone is lack of time. Some argue that walking is just as good as running, but you still have to travel the same distance. Not many people have time to walk for 2 hours every day. Stephen Fry managed to lose a lot of weight just by walking and eating more healthily though.
I read somewhere else too that walking faster is ALOT more effective than walking slower. I normally just walk slowly as my body isnt fit for other physical activities. My personal trainer from Carlbad also encouraged me to walk faster. Now I’ll start to walk faster because I know the difference.