Whether you’re a thoughtful plodder or one of those people who weaves with artful precision while setting a cracking pace, walking should be high on your health radar. Yes, the findings are in and it turns out, walking is hugely beneficial and hugely underrated.
Why is walking good for you?
Well to start with the fairly obvious; walking is incredibly accessible. It costs nothing and you can do it just about anywhere. You can also – hurrah! – walk and talk with friends (and even slow run and sing) and that’s considered as a good form of consistent exercise these days. So what should we be looking at when it comes to the efficacy of walking?
The gold standard of assessing whether a routine or workout is effective it to measure the VO2 max, which basically measures how much oxygen your body uses while you exercise. The more oxygen you can take in, the more your muscles use, the harder you can workout and the fitter you are (you can take a breath after reading that.) Walking is a great tool to improve your VO2 max. In fact, research has shown that just 20 minutes of daily power walking can increase your VO2 max as effectively as higher-intensity exercises (more on that later.)
And the overall benefits to your health are ten – or many – fold. Walking helps you to maintain a health weight, lowers your risk of depression and cognitive decline, and lowers your risk of developing a myriad of diseases such as coronary heart, diabetes and cancer.
Is walking better than running?
When it comes to this age old debate, there are points to support both sides. The general idea is that running is probably more efficient, but walking is more realistic and sustainable.
The truth about walking is that, for most, it’s more enjoyable than running and other types of workouts. Walking has a longer shelf life for the majority of us, and therefore likely to provide better, more concrete dividends. Many of us have proclaimed we’ll become a ‘runner’ in the new year, only to hang up our laces within, well, let’s not care to say.
Interestingly, a study has shown that moderate-intensity walking can provide the same health benefits as vigorous-intensity exercise, such as running. This is mainly in terms of reducing the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. The particular study that was conducted in the UK over six years, and measured 33,000 runners against 15,000 walkers. It found that for the same amount of energy used, walkers experienced greater health benefits than runners. In other words, walking gets the job done just as well as, if not at times better than running, as long as you’re expending the same amount of energy.
Some interesting stats to come out of the study: Running reduced the risk of heart disease by 4.5% while walking reduced it by 9.3%. The risk of first-time high blood pressure was reduced by 4.2% by running and 7.2% by walking. First-time high cholesterol risk was lowered by 4.3% by running and 7% by walking. The risk of first-time diabetes was reduced by about 12% by both walking and running.
Some other reasons walking might be superior to running for some enthusiasts:
- Walking is more injury-free and lower impact than running, with about a half of runners reporting injuries each year
- Walking doesn’t require any gear or additional equipment
- Walking can be enjoyed with friends and is generally more conducive to socialising
- Walking is recommended for anyone who has knee, ankle and back problems, and for anyone who is obese
Ultimately though, both forms of exercise offer great benefits. The list is endless, but let’s just place a few here to inspire the running shoes to get laced on, whether it be for a quick amble or a bolt; reduces inflammation and risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and risk of obesity, helps you manage your blood sugar and insulin levels, decreases feelings of anxiety and depression. and promotes better quality sleep. Just to name a few.
How much walking do I need to do to positively influence my health?
Dr James DiNicolantonio, cardiovascular research scientist at Saint Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute, put it fairly simply, “walking can literally save your life.”
He went on to say that, “If you’re over 60 years old, walking 6,000 – 8,000 steps per day cuts the risk of dying early in half. If you’re under 60 years old, walking 8,000 – 10,000 steps per day cuts the risk of dying early in half.”
To give some context, the average adult male takes 5,340 steps per day, while women take 4,912 steps per day. That means with a concerted effort each day to take the stairs, get off public transport one stop earlier, walk after meals or walk the dog, you’re hugely reducing your chance of dying early.
So as the man says – get steppin’.
