huffingtonpost - 3 hours ago

WalkingIf you take an interest in health and fitness, you’ll doubtless have heard of the 10,000 steps a day rule. This, however, is a little outdated.Not only does the idea come from a decades-old marketing campaign rather than any scientific basis, but recent research has found that 7,000 steps a day ought to be enough to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.It’s also linked to a lower likelihood of “cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function, and falls”.But speaking to HuffPost UK previously, both hospital doctor and consultant practitioner, Dr Hussain Ahmad, and GP Dr Suzanne Wylie shared that not all strolls are created equal. Brisk walking is linked to better health outcomesTo get the most out of your walk, try walking briskly. “If you’re aiming to maintain general health, brisk walking for at least 150 minutes a week (about 30 minutes a day, five days a week) can help reduce the risk of heart disease, improve mood, and support weight management,” Dr Ahmad said.Walking “fast enough to feel warmer and breathe a bit harder, but still able to hold a conversation” (the doctor’s definition of “brisk”) has been linked to a 20% reduction in premature death compared to just 4% for slower walkers.Dr Wylie agreed, writing that “For maintaining basic fitness and preventing many chronic conditions, brisk walking is highly effective”. Even the NHS says you “do not have to walk for hours” to see the health advantages of walking – “a brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits,” the health service shared. Indeed a 2022 analysis of studies found that health advantages were seen among those who stuck to 11 minutes of brisk walking a day.How can I tell if I’m walking “briskly”? As we’ve mentioned above, your breath might tell you how you’re doing. In fact, the NHS recommends a “sing test” to ensure you’re strolling quickly enough. “A brisk walk is about 3 miles [4.8km] an hour, which is faster than a stroll,” they explained. “You can tell you’re walking briskly if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song.” Related...I Made A Walking Change Ahead Of Clocks Going Back, And My Sleep Is Already BetterI Tried The 6-6-6 Walking Challenge, And It Got Me Out Of An Exercise RutHere s How Many Steps To Walk A Day To Lower Your Dementia Risk

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