We’re living longer than we’ve ever lived before, but as it turns out, the last ten years of our lives are likely to be riddled with health problems. What does this mean in health jargon? That our lifespan isn’t matching up to our healthspan, which is about ten years shorter.
The folks at the World Health Organisation have found that increasing our daily exercise – which less than half of us are meeting – will positively affect our healthspan. Interestingly, only 10% of us are meeting the strength-training recommendations, too. Generally a lack of time is cited as one of the most common reasons.
In happier news, by simply undertaking around 150 to 300 minutes of exercise per week, and muscle strengthening twice a week, we will see happy health outcomes. And what constitutes exercise for WHO? Yes! Walking! (Alongside swimming and cycling.)
Walking as a form of exercise
Why do we all love walking so much? Well, firstly it costs nada. It doesn’t require any bells, whistles or training. Walking is an organic, natural, gluten free, fat free, toxin free, meditative experience. And we’re all for it.
Secondly – and in fabulous two-birds-one-stone news – preliminary research shows that walking is adaptive, and we can optimise it simply by incorporating strength-training elements to improve muscle strength and balance.
So, really, what can’t walking do?
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Why we need to include strength training in our walking
Walking alone, while beneficial, doesn’t provide strength training benefits. In other words, we’re not getting as much out of it as we can.
Ken Nosaka, professor of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University, states that, “Exercises consisting of “eccentric” or muscle-lengthening contractions improve muscle strength, prevent muscle wasting and improve other functions such as balance and flexibility. Typical eccentric contractions are seen, for example, when we sit on a chair slowly. The front thigh muscles lengthen with force generation.”
The study
The study – which included 11 regular walkers aged between 54 and 88 years – found that including body-weight-based eccentric exercise training, such as sitting down on a chair, practising lunges, and even walking down stairs or downhill, provided clear benefits. Over a period of four to 12 weeks improvement was seen in muscle strength, chair-stand ability, balance and cognitive function. That’s right. Exercise helps or brain.
So basically, feel the burn on those thigh muscles, and any other muscle groups you can give a workout, and you’ll certainly see the benefits.
Don’t mind us, we’re just off to lunge up the street.
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