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But actually it is a near perfect exercise. Walking is a safe, easy and inexpensive form of workout that has several positive outcomes on health.
Innumerable studies conducted all over the world have confirmed that walking for thirty minutes at least five times a week brings with it loads of benefits. It helps to decrease the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Walking for longer distances over longer periods is more beneficial than walking with greater intensity for shorter periods. Regular walking lowers body weight, body fat and blood pressure. It improves the efficiency of the heart and lungs to provide oxygen-rich blood to the muscles, thus enhancing the working ability of a person. When combined with low-fat and high-carbohydrate diet, it also lowers blood cholesterol, which is another risk for heart disease.
Everybody needs exercise -- children, adolescents, men, women, the elderly and even people recovering from diseases. Walking is a type of exercise that can be easily integrated into everyone's lifestyle. It comes free and the intensity can be varied according to one's capacity.
Studies have shown that irrespective of whether an individual loses weight or not, he still profits from this activity, in terms of building a healthy body and prolonging life. As against that, a slim but sedentary person has more risk of suffering from heart conditions.
Experts believe that the simple act of walking to school makes a great start to an active day for schoolchildren. It sets the pace for increased physical activity throughout the day and can be a big step toward preventing the obesity epidemic.
Regular physical exercise is a must for diabetics. It improves effectiveness of insulin, the hormone that enables sugar to enter cells of the body. Walking for half an hour everyday helps to maintain appropriate blood glucose levels.
The exercise of walking brings a lot of good news for post- menopausal women. It prevents osteoporosis and fractures by increasing bone mass and preserving bones. It builds lower body strength and improves body balance. Women who are active after menopause do not gain excess weight. This enhances their self esteem, prevents depression and decreases menopausal symptoms.
Many studies have suggested that incorporating exercise programs in ailing and sick patients is advantageous. It improves the mood of patients with Alzheimer's disease, perhaps through secretion of the "feel good" hormone, serotonin. In patients with Crohn's disease and patients of dialysis, it improves the quality of life. Dr. A.M. Swank and team from Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, the United States, observed that when a patient with breast cancer started moderate exercise before chemotherapy and continued throughout the treatment, she was able to cope better with the stress. There were less fatigue and less muscle wasting.
Women are in a delicate frame of mind after giving birth and are susceptible to depression. Going for long walks with the baby in the pram has been seen to prevent depression. Losing the extra pounds gained during pregnancy comes as an additional bonus.
Walking is perhaps the one activity that can be practiced individually, in pairs, in groups, as a family and even as a community. The only investment is time and a pair of shoes. The profits are better muscle tone, stronger bones, improved posture, good body balance, a lean body, a strong heart, controlled blood pressure, well-maintained blood sugar levels, a good self-image and a cheerful disposition.
It has been suggested that walking 10,000 steps everyday is ideal. A review published by Dr. Dena Bravata and colleagues from the Stanford University of California in the United States in November in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" shows that using a pedometer helps to achieve this target. It increases the daily physical activity and significantly decreases blood pressure and body mass index, a measure of obesity.
Although much is written about the benefits of exercise, not enough is practiced. The habit should be inculcated at a young age so that it becomes a way of life. An easy and affordable activity like walking should be promoted and encouraged to build a society of individuals with healthy bodies and minds.
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(Dr. Pradnya Kulkarni is a clinical pathologist from India. She worked as a consultant pathologist in a private laboratory in Pune before moving to Hong Kong with her husband and young daughter. She is also a freelance writer, focusing on medical issues of public concern. ©Copyright Pradnya Kulkarni.)
