For the elderly, staying active is incredibly important. It’s incredibly important to stay active as a preventative measure, but it also has immediate health benefits. For most elderly individuals, running is too high intensity, but a new study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology has shown that walkers receive the same health benefits as runners. This is great news for the elderly because walking is an incredibly low impact activity. Additionally, it is a great way to get the elderly outside, which provides another set of health benefits.
The study compared walking to running, and found that they both had about the same impact on health. Here’s what they found:
• Walkers were also 12.3% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes
• Walking also helped to reduce heart disease risk by 9%
Walking has numerous other benefits that weren’t covered in the study, but have been researched before. According to the American Heart Association, walking is associated with the following:
• Improved blood pressure levels
• Reduced risk of coronary heart disease
• Lower risk of obesity
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• Reduced risk of breast and colon cancer
• Reduced risk of type II diabetes
• It reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol and increases ‘good’ cholesterol
• Improves mood and reduces fatigue
With all of this information, it’s impossible to find an excuse not to walk. Additionally, it’s a great excuse to enjoy this nice weather. So, this weekend be sure to get outside and take a walk!
No comments:
Post a Comment