Study: Walking Pace Matters For Health Benefits
A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, says your walking pace matters. The research found that walking at an “average” or “normal” speed of two to three miles an hour was linked to a 15-percent lower risk of type-two diabetes and a “brisk” and “striding” speed doubled that percentage. Studies have also found that walking 15 minutes a day, five days a week, helps boost immunity and lessens sweet cravings. Recent research found that walking seven-thousand steps lowers chances of heart disease by more than half. Walking after eating can help reduce heart disease risk, regulate blood glucose levels and improve sleep.
We know “fast walking is good compared to slow walking,” but there isn’t much research on how many minutes you should spend fast walking on average, said Zheng, director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and the Anne Potter Wilson Professor in Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
On average, study participants who fast walked for at least 15 minutes every day saw a nearly 20% reduction in premature death compared with a 4% reduction among participants who walked slowly for a total of more than three hours a day.
“We’ve actually known for quite a long time that walking speed correlates with outcomes, meaning the faster you walk, the better you do. And it certainly makes sense, because you can imagine, somebody who’s in really bad shape is probably not going to be able to walk very quickly,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. He was not involved in the study.
How walking can impact your health
Walking has health benefits, such as managing weight and sugar intake, reducing risk of cancer, easing joint pain, and boosting immune function.
