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Walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week is enough

Life extension, weight loss, heart health, bone health, etc.

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“Walking at a brisk pace improves cardiovascular health. Also, walking alone improves many body functions,” said Dr. James N. Robinson, sports medicine specialist. But don’t walk out of breath all the way to the chin.

Dr. Robinson recommends aiming to walk 150 minutes a week. Instead of walking all at once, you can walk over several days. The US Department of Health and Human Services also recommends that adults participate in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 150 minutes per week in the “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.” Exercising for around 30 minutes every day for 5 days a week will fill you up. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it’s okay to cut it into smaller chunks. For example, it is good to go for a walk three times a day for 10 minutes.

Days off from walking are also important. Robinson recommends “to reduce the risk of injury, walk vigorously no more than five days a week.” But taking a break doesn’t mean sitting still. You can walk lightly or moderately every day. What are the benefits of walking lightly every day and walking briskly five times a week? Health and medical media ‘Everyday Health’ introduced this recently.

1. prolong life
According to data published by JAMA Network Open in 2021, in an 11-year study of more than 2,000 adults, those who practiced walking had a 50 to 70 percent lower risk of death. The researchers controlled for a number of behavioral and lifestyle factors, including age, smoking history, weight, alcohol intake, and diet, as well as health indicators such as cholesterol levels, fasting glucose, blood pressure, and some drug use. .

“Physical activity helps keep almost every part of the body healthy, including the brain, muscles, bones, cardiovascular system, kidneys and lungs,” says Amanda Paluch, PhD, a physical activity and kinesiology epidemiologist at University of Massachusetts Amherst. the best way.” “More walking prevents many chronic diseases that lead to premature death,” he said.

2. Keep your bones healthy
“Because walking is a weight-bearing exercise, it can help keep your bones healthy and reduce your risk of osteoporosis,” says Robinson. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons announced, “Brisk walking for 10 minutes three times a day improves bone strength of the leg and spine.” “It’s more effective when you combine walking and strength training,” says Robinson.

3. Feel better
If you’re feeling down, go for a walk. No need to walk long. A 2018 study published in Health Promotion Perspectives found that young adults who took a brisk 10-minute walk felt less tired than a sedentary control group. Getting up and moving can help get rid of lethargy, and it can also help get rid of general depression.

4. Good for Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, vigorous exercise is not necessary. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2017 looked at overweight and obese adults. People who restricted the calories in their diet and walked 2.5 hours a week for 12 weeks had lower fasting insulin levels and less fat. There was a difference from the calorie restricted group only. Both groups lost around 8% of body weight. However, the group that only restricted calories lost fat mass in the group that walked even compared to the group that gained muscle mass.

5. Your heart is healthy
When you walk regularly, your heart is working. It also lowers cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, according to the CDC. A Cochrane Review in 2021 conducted 73 trials and concluded that 20-40 minutes of walking 3-5 times a week for three months helped lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is another risk factor for heart disease. This is why you have to walk.

Reporter Se-jin Kim

joyer@kormedi.com

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