What Are the Good Effects of Walking?
2024-11-22
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1Many medical experts say that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, support fitness and prevent disease.
2They advise that walking is a great first step toward a healthy life although other forms of exercise are also important.
3Dr. Sarah Eby is a sports medicine physician with Mass General Brigham in the state of Massachusetts.
4Eby said walking has many good effects and people do not need extra things.
5"You don't need equipment and you don't need a gym membership," Eby noted "And the benefits are so vast."
6The U.S. surgeon general, a federal health officer, recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.
7Walking helps meet that goal.
8Exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many kinds of cancer.
9Walking also helps blood sugar levels, is good for bone health, and can help people lose weight and sleep better.
10That is what Julie Schmied said.
11She is a health care worker with Norton Healthcare in Kentucky, which runs the free Get Healthy Walking Club.
12Walking is also a relatively low-impact exercise that puts less pressure on joints than other exercises while strengthening the heart and lungs.
13James Blankenship is 68 years old.
14He said joining a walking club at the Louisville Zoo last year helped him recover after a heart attack and a complex triple-bypass heart operation in 2022.
15"My cardiologist says I'm doing great," he said.
16Some say walking is not enough.
17Anita Gust teaches exercise science at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
18Gust said walking "is not enough for overall health and well-being" because it does not provide resistance training that builds muscle strength and endurance.
19Some health experts say that is especially important for healthy bone development in women as they age.
20Experts recommend adding other activities at least twice weekly.
21These could include using weights, gym equipment or one's own body for resistance exercises.
22Training that improves flexibility, like yoga or stretching, can also be helpful.
23Many people have heard about the walking goal of 10,000 steps a day.
24This advice dates back to a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan.
25But, experts note that this is only a guideline.
26Shmied said the average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, and it is fine to increase that number to 10,000.
27Setting a time goal can also be useful.
28Shmied suggests dividing the recommended 150 minutes per week into 30 minutes a day, or 10 minutes three times a day, for five days.
29During rainy or snowy weather, people can walk in malls or on treadmills.
30As they become seasoned walkers, they can speed up or walk up hills while still keeping the activity level moderate.
31"If you can talk but not sing," Eby said, "that's what we consider moderate-intensity exercise."
32Walking with friends, including dogs, is one way to keep walking.
33Walking clubs have appeared across the nation.
34In 2022, 31-year-old personal trainer Brianna Joye Kohn started City Girls Who Walk with a TikTok post inviting others to walk with her in New York.
35"We had 250 girls show up," she said.
36Since then, the group has walked every Sunday for around 40 minutes, with some meeting afterward for a meal or coffee.
37The Louisville Zoo launched its walking club in 1987.
38It joined with Norton Healthcare in 2004 to expand it and now has more than 15,000 registered members.
39Every day from March 1 through October 31, people walk around and around the zoo before it officially opens.
40Recently, Janet Rapp walked down a path through the city zoo, waving at friends and stopping briefly to greet big flightless birds called emus that she knows by name.
41The 71-year-old retiree starts each morning this way with a walking club.
42"I'm obsessed," she said. Not only does it ease her joint pain, "it just gives me energy...And then it calms me, too."
43I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
1Many medical experts say that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, support fitness and prevent disease. They advise that walking is a great first step toward a healthy life although other forms of exercise are also important. 2Good effects of walking 3Dr. Sarah Eby is a sports medicine physician with Mass General Brigham in the state of Massachusetts. Eby said walking has many good effects and people do not need extra things. "You don't need equipment and you don't need a gym membership," Eby noted "And the benefits are so vast." 4The U.S. surgeon general, a federal health officer, recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. 5Walking helps meet that goal. Exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many kinds of cancer. 6Walking also helps blood sugar levels, is good for bone health, and can help people lose weight and sleep better. That is what Julie Schmied said. She is a health care worker with Norton Healthcare in Kentucky, which runs the free Get Healthy Walking Club. 7Walking is also a relatively low-impact exercise that puts less pressure on joints than other exercises while strengthening the heart and lungs. 8James Blankenship is 68 years old. He said joining a walking club at the Louisville Zoo last year helped him recover after a heart attack and a complex triple-bypass heart operation in 2022. 9"My cardiologist says I'm doing great," he said. 10Some say walking is not enough. Anita Gust teaches exercise science at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Gust said walking "is not enough for overall health and well-being" because it does not provide resistance training that builds muscle strength and endurance. 11Some health experts say that is especially important for healthy bone development in women as they age. 12Experts recommend adding other activities at least twice weekly. These could include using weights, gym equipment or one's own body for resistance exercises. Training that improves flexibility, like yoga or stretching, can also be helpful. 13How much should you walk? 14Many people have heard about the walking goal of 10,000 steps a day. This advice dates back to a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan. But, experts note that this is only a guideline. 15Shmied said the average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, and it is fine to increase that number to 10,000. 16Setting a time goal can also be useful. Shmied suggests dividing the recommended 150 minutes per week into 30 minutes a day, or 10 minutes three times a day, for five days. During rainy or snowy weather, people can walk in malls or on treadmills. 17As they become seasoned walkers, they can speed up or walk up hills while still keeping the activity level moderate. 18"If you can talk but not sing," Eby said, "that's what we consider moderate-intensity exercise." 19Staying with your walking program 20Walking with friends, including dogs, is one way to keep walking. 21Walking clubs have appeared across the nation. In 2022, 31-year-old personal trainer Brianna Joye Kohn started City Girls Who Walk with a TikTok post inviting others to walk with her in New York. 22"We had 250 girls show up," she said. 23Since then, the group has walked every Sunday for around 40 minutes, with some meeting afterward for a meal or coffee. 24The Louisville Zoo launched its walking club in 1987. It joined with Norton Healthcare in 2004 to expand it and now has more than 15,000 registered members. Every day from March 1 through October 31, people walk around and around the zoo before it officially opens. 25Recently, Janet Rapp walked down a path through the city zoo, waving at friends and stopping briefly to greet big flightless birds called emus that she knows by name. 26The 71-year-old retiree starts each morning this way with a walking club. 27"I'm obsessed," she said. Not only does it ease her joint pain, "it just gives me energy...And then it calms me, too." 28I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 29Laura Ungar reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. 30_______________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32gym (gymnasium) -n. a building or room that has equipment and space for exercise 33vast -adj. extremely great or large 34impact -n. involving force against or on something 35endurance -n. the ability to be physically active for a long time 36flexibility -adj. the ability to bend and move one's body freely without pain or injury 37treadmill -n. a machine with a moving surface that lets the user walk in place 38We want to hear from you. 39Our comment policy is here.