It’s hard to believe. How can it be true walking is better for you than running?
That’s what researchers are saying.
Walking is less stressful on your spine, discs, hips, knees, & ankles. Foe longevity and overall health of this joints, walking beats running.
A recent article on Forbes.com, “Brisk Walking or Running: Both Reduce Risk for Heart Disease,” reports on a new study by The American Heart Association. “[I]ndividuals who walked briskly were able to reduce their high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and blood sugar (diabetes) as much as runners did — and actually to a higher degree,” according to Robert Glatter, M.D.
Is this a joke?
If you’re like most people, this might seem too good to be true. After all, walking is much easier than running, right? Running takes more energy and burns more calories than walking. So if you’re looking to lose weight, running will work faster.
But if you’re looking to improve your overall health, walking can be better for you in the long run.
Study results
The study, reported in the April 2013 issue of The American Heart Association’s journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology that examines health and diseases of blood vessels, looked at more than 33,000 runners and 15,000 walkers. They ranged in age from 18 to 80, with most of the study’s subjects being in their 40s and 50s.
After tracking the health of both groups for more than six years, the study found that:
The walkers had a 7 percent lower risk of high cholesterol.
The runners had a 4.3 percent lower risk of high cholesterol.
The walkers had a 12.3 percent lower risk of diabetes.
The runners had a 12.1 percent lower risk of diabetes.
The walkers lowered their risk of high blood pressure by 7.2 percent.
The runners lowered their risk of high blood pressure by 4.2 percent.
The walkers cut their chances of coronary artery disease by 9.3 percent.
The runners lowered their chances of coronary artery disease by 4.5 percent.
This study is good news for a lot of people. It’s hard for some to find the energy to run. So if you think going for a brisk walk seems easier, Dr. Glatter agrees.
“This is quite appealing since walking may be a more reasonable activity for a larger segment of the population compared to running,” he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that people get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise a week. Both running and walking are good ways to do this. The more you run or walk, the better it is for your health. Just make sure you’re being active enough in your walking. Walk like you’re late for something really important. That’ll get you up to speed.
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Four Points Family Chiropractic
10815 Ranch Rd 2222 Bldg 3C, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78730