A brisk ‘power walk’ once a day found to
significantly reduce chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
People who go on a fast daily walk have been
found to have a 50 per cent lower chance of having a heart attack or stroke
than those who don’t. This power walking was even found to be more effective
than jogging, which lowered it by 40 per cent. Walking daily
but at a leisurely pace was found to have little to no effect on heart attack
or stroke risk, suggesting it’s intensity rather than time when it comes to
exercise.
The findings were published by Danish scientists in the BMJ Open. They
spent a decade studying the health of 4,000 volunteers aged between 21 and 98. The
scientists compared the chances of developing ‘metabolic syndrome’, a term that
collectively describes a number of conditions including obesity, high blood pressure
and high cholesterol. Those with metabolic syndrome are more likely to suffer
from heart attack or stroke as they get older.
The report stated: “Significantly lower risk of metabolic syndrome was
found in the moderately and highly physically active groups compared to their
sedentary counterparts.” But the team added: “Light physical activity and even
more than one hour of walking daily did not confer protection against metabolic
syndrome.”
The important difference between a slow stroll and a more intense brisk
or ‘power’ walk is that a faster walk increases the heart rate. The heart is a
muscle, so it needs working out and getting it to move faster is the key to
preventing heart attack and stroke. Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart
Foundation Maureen Talbot said: “If you want to make the walk to work or to the
shops part of keeping your heart healthy then try turning it from a leisurely
stroll into a power walk to get the benefits.”
Yahoo Lifestyle
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