This is part 2 of 2 Walking as Exercise Has Health Benefits. To hop posts and read part 1 of Walking as Exercise Has Health Benefits click here.
Many studies examining the health benefits of walking compare walking programs to doing nothing. Researchers have looked at how walking compares to other exercise types to see which is best.
Running vs. Walking
According to a six-year large-scale study, walking is less effective for weight loss in real-world situations than running. In the study, 15,237 walkers and 32,216 runners filled out questionnaires at the program’s start and again 6.2 years later.
The study’s authors explained their findings by saying that the increase in metabolic rate after exercise and the decrease in appetite after a workout is more noticeable after strenuous exercise like running than after moderate exercise like walking.
The study produced some complex conclusions. Another study shows that running is better than walking for lowering hypertension, cholesterol, and the risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
Low risk of musculoskeletal problems with walking and moderately intense physical activities exists. Still, there is a higher risk of injury with jogging, running, and competitive sports. However, walking may be more pleasant and sustainable for many people than running.
Exercises with High Intensity and Their Benefits
Cycling, Swimming, and Fitness Classes vs. Walking
No studies have compared walking to other forms of exercise such as cycling, fitness, courses, or swimming. However, there may be a few considerations when deciding which activity is best for you.
Walking is less expensive and more accessible for many people. Walking shoes are encouraged but optional. There is no extra equipment required to participate. There is no requirement for a gym membership or access to a swimming pool, and no need to learn a new exercise. Parents may comfortably walk with their stroller, and families or friends can walk together to strengthen their social bonds.
Adding walking to other activities may be a wise approach for many people. Non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming or aqua aerobics, may be better for some people, such as those with joint problems. Walking may also be impossible under certain weather conditions.
How to Walk for Health Advantages
To reap the health benefits of walking, you should create a program that adheres to the rules established by specialists. Of course, you may tie up your shoes and go for a walk whenever it is convenient. Still, a regularly planned fitness program is likely to produce superior effects. The better you plan, the better the projected outcome of results that hit your targeted fitness goals will be.
Less than 7% of people whose primary exercise is walking do it often enough, long enough, and intensely sufficient to meet current recommendations.
Basic Walking Instructions
You should increase your physical activity and make nutritional changes to lose weight. About 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week are needed to obtain cardiovascular benefits. Walking works out for up to 30 minutes daily, five times weekly.
For long-term weight loss, 200-300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity may have the optimized result. More physical activity may be required to avoid weight gain after losing weight.
Aim for 35-43 minutes of walking per day to lose or maintain weight if you exercise daily. If you exercise five days a week, aim to walk for 50-60 minutes per session.
Intensity is also crucial. The heart rate from exercise to work at 65% to 75% of its maximum heart rate during moderate-intensity activity. You can utilize the speaking test if you don’t have a heart rate monitor. You are operating at a high intensity if you can only sustain a few sentences at a time. You should be breathing more heavily than usual, but you should still be able to converse.
Step rate to determine your intensity level. By having a step rate of 100 steps per minute. So a 30-minute stroll would result in 3,000 steps. Anything faster than 130 steps per minute is considered vigorous intensity.
It is good to have step goals, and meeting or passing them is very favorable toward gaining the fitness and health results you seek. Because fitness trackers, pedometers, and smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular, some people are keeping track of how many steps they take every day to get the health benefits of walking. There is growing evidence that meeting a step count goal can have some of the same benefits as doing the physical activity the government requires. However, more research is needed.
For best health, many people aim for 10,000 steps each day. However, until recently, no firm data supported that figure. In truth, from a 1960s marketing effort for the “manpo meter,” a Japanese pedometer. Manpo translates to 10,000 steps.
The Department of Health and Human Services addressed step count as a tool to evaluate physical activity levels in their 2018 Guidelines for Physical Activity. While monitoring intensity and duration has traditionally been the gold standard, health professionals agree that measuring steps per day is easier for many people.
Most of the data suggest that you increase the time and intensity of your physical activity beyond what you do every day for better health. The survey shows a typical baseline step count of around 5,000 steps per day. However, 80% of less active persons’ daily actions are of light intensity.
Researchers are also investigating the association between step count and various health effects. In 2020, higher daily steps counted with a decreased risk of death from any cause.
Taking 8,000 steps a day was linked to a 51% lower risk of death from any cause when compared to taking 4,000 steps per day. They assumed 12,000 steps daily would result in a 65% lower risk than 4,000 steps. After accounting for the total number of actions taken per day, the researchers found no link between step intensity and risk of death.
What Does This Mean for You?
Suppose you are sedentary and find that counting steps per day is more manageable than counting walking duration and intensity. In that case, start by counting your current daily step count as a baseline. Then establish a target of increasing your daily steps by 1,000 to 2,000. Increase by 1000 to 2000 steps once you’ve done it consistently for a week or two.
If your baseline is 4,000 steps per day, you should strive for 5,000 to 6,000 steps daily. After a week or two, gradually increase from 6000 to 7000 degrees daily. Continue in this manner until you reach 10,000 steps per day.
Finally, we may state.
A well-planned walking program can give numerous health benefits, including reduced stress, healthier bones, and longer life. For optimal outcomes, attempt to meet the recommended weekly target of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity walking. But if that seems excessive or recording your workout duration and intensity feels daunting, that’s fine.
Anyone can enhance their health by simply increasing their regular steps. A walk around the office every hour is an excellent suggestion to break up your work and physical activity. After dinner, go for a stroll. Instead of driving, get the kids and walk to school. You might discover that you enjoy walking enough to create a more controlled program that gives even more benefits.
This was part 2 of 2. Walking as Exercise Has Health Benefits. Read Part 1 Walking as Exercise Has Health Benefits by clicking here.