To slow down your ageing, quicken your pace!
Do you find it hard and boring to try deadlifting, bench press, or even push-ups? Well, don’t lose hope as you don’t necessarily have to hit the gym to stay fit!
Here’s a best alternative for you — Walking. Walking is the easiest, most inexpensive, and most accessible exercise for people of all age groups. It requires neither training nor any equipment. You just need to be willing to go for it and you can easily walk around parks, malls, airports, streets etc. Just 30 minutes into it, your blood circulation gets better and you instantly feel rejuvenated, both mentally and physically.
But, did you know that something as simple as walking could give you longevity?
A new study recently found out that brisk walking could add years to your life by slowing down the effects of the ageing process. According to this latest research conducted on 400,000 middle aged people, brisk walking can increase ‘Leucocyte Telomere Length’ (LTL) — a genetic marker that determines your biological age. A shorter length of LTL (as a result of the natural ageing process) is associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases that lead to mortality like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and even mental health disorders like depression.
Brisk walking is a moderate intensity exercise which can be easily incorporated into your regular routine. This can step up your fitness game dramatically over a period of time. So, Dr. YOU brings you some more reasons to start brisk walking today.
- It helps you shed those extra kilos — There could be nothing simpler than a walk to burn calories and stored fat in the body. Brisk walking speeds up metabolism and if combined with a healthy diet, can help in losing excessive body weight. Regular brisk walks strengthen muscles of your legs, abdomen, back, and buttocks. This increases muscle endurance and tightens muscles, resulting in a toned appearance and improved posture.
- It helps you beat the blues — Brisk walking elevates your mood in no time. Just like any other exercise form, it triggers the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins. Endorphins are neurochemicals which induce relaxation, stabilize mood, and also help reduce perception of pain. Brisk walking is a very good antidote to anxiety and stress of any kind, as it lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. These collective effects lead to mental calmness and also help improve sleep quality.
- It boosts your energy levels — Brisk walking increases blood circulation which leads to better supply of oxygen to all the body tissues. This instantly boosts energy production and reduces fatigue caused by sedentary lifestyle. Regular brisk walks also work on building stamina over a period of time, without straining your joints and muscles.
- It prevents chronic health conditions — Regular brisk walking helps in regulating metabolism and normalizing blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. This helps in preventing non-communicable diseases like hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- It strengthens muscles and joints — Brisk walking consistently works on your muscles and gradually strengthens them. Stronger muscles support joints and lead to stronger bones. Walking lubricates joints and improves bone mineral density, which gradually minimizes the risk of age-related osteoporosis– a disease that leads to loss of bone density, resulting in weaker bones and increased risk of fractures. In addition to strengthening bones and muscles, brisk walking also reduces stiffness and makes muscles flexible. Scientific studies prove that brisk walking alleviates chronic lower back pain.
- It matters for your heart — Brisk walking is a kind of cardio exercise that increases heart rate and improves blood flow to the heart muscles. It also helps in lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, all of which are high risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Remember, the only person who can keep YOU the healthiest is YOU!
DISCLAIMER: Dr. YOU aims to bring you the latest evidence-based science, and our content is for informational purposes only. The content is not medical advice or guarantee of an outcome. You should always consult a doctor or qualified healthcare professional if you need further clarification and before making any changes to your treatment plans and lifestyle, or that of others.
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