Dr Bradley Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, wrote an article for The Conversation about the benefits of walking for our bodies.
In the article, Dr Bradley Elliott wrote about how walking is good for both physical and mental health, and how almost everyone, regardless of age or ability, can take up walking regularly as a form of exercise.
Talking about the physical benefits of walking, Dr Elliott wrote: “Walking has clear benefits on keeping our bodies functioning as we get older, improving cardiovascular health, helping lose fat mass and maintain muscle muss, and helping to maintain bone density as well. And these benefits are true for people of all ages. It seems that the more active you are as a young adult can affect overall health and (in rats, at least) bone and muscle physical function in later life.”
Discussing the factors that people should consider, such as steps and pace, Dr Elliott wrote: “Another factor to consider is walking pace. As intuitive as it may seem, it’s worth pointing out that walking faster is better for you than walking slowly. In a recent randomised control trial, 12 months of walking five times a week for 50 minutes at low speed didn’t improve measures of fitness, while walking at a faster speed did. (The researchers used a personalised measure for each person – so “fast” versus “slow” depended on each individual.)”
Read the full article on The Conversation’s website.
