Like so many of us, I spend too
much time hunched over a computer. So throughout my day, I ask myself: Can this
activity be done while walking? I have recently taken meetings and made eight-minute
phone calls on foot, and I turned one coffee date with a friend into a ramble
through the park.
اضافة اعلان
My incentive? The results of a literature
review published last month in The British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Researchers examined 196 studies and found that a brisk walk — of at least 11
minutes a day — significantly lowered participants’ risk of heart disease, many
kinds of cancer, and mortality overall.
The same study found that those who did at
least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week slashed their risk of early
death even more.
A brisk walk — of at least 11 minutes a day — significantly lowered participants’ risk of heart disease, many kinds of cancer, and mortality overall
Many of us still need a little nudge to get
up and moving. Here are several incentives.
Decrease aches and painsIt is tempting to stay off your feet if you
are in pain, but that is not always the best course of action. For instance,
nearly one-quarter of adults in the US have arthritis and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate
activity (such as vigorous walking) each week to help manage symptoms.
A 2022 study, published in Arthritis &
Rheumatology, involved people ages 50 and older with osteoarthritis in their
knees and found that those who walked regularly had less frequent knee pain.
The research also suggested that a consistent walking routine may slow the
damage that occurs within the joint, said Dr Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, an associate
professor of immunology, allergy and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston and the lead author of the study.
“Walk and talk” therapy takes place outdoors, either in person or over the phone, and can be a refreshing alternative to more traditional sessions
Research suggests that activities such as
walking might also help relieve lower back pain.
Therapy enhanced“Walk and talk” therapy takes place
outdoors, either in person or over the phone, and can be a refreshing
alternative to more traditional sessions, said Lynn Bufka, the associate chief
of practice transformation for the American Psychological Association.
“All that we know about the benefits of
exercise — in terms of combating depression, and reducing anxiety, and helping
with insomnia — are the same things we’re trying to address in psychotherapy, so
how can we fit them together?” she said.
Sharpen your memoryFeeling forgetful? A brisk, fast-paced walk
may be useful, but “brisk” is the key word, said Rong Zhang, a professor of
neurology and internal medicine at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at
UT Southwestern.
Zhang and his colleagues conducted a small
study of middle-aged and older people with memory impairments and found that a
half-hour walk — five days a week, over the course of a year — improved blood
flow to the brain and cognitive functioning. A follow-up study, published last
year, found similar results in older adults without cognitive impairments: They
experienced improved memory as well.
One effective way to treat rumination is through disruption. “A walk can disrupt the cycle enough to get us out of the looping thoughts.”
“You need to make an effort to get up that
heart rate, where it’s a little more challenging,” Zhang said, adding that you
should “feel a little shortness of breath” and conversation should become more
difficult.
Brooding begoneIf you are trapped in a worry spiral, a
half-hour trek in nature can dial down ruminative thoughts. A 2020 study in The
Journal of Environmental Psychology found that a 30-minute walk significantly
reduced a negative mood and “elicited more awe”.
One effective way to treat rumination is
through disruption. “A walk can disrupt the cycle enough to get us out of the
looping thoughts,” Bufka said.
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