A Detailed Look At The Many Benefits Of Walking
Taking Regular Walks Can Keep You From Gaining Weight
Even though walking may not seem like vigorous exercise, it is surprisingly effective at preventing weight gain. In 2013, researchers conducted a study that involved 822 participants and lasted four years. During this time, study participants gained 3.5 pounds on average. This weight gain was not uniform among all participants, however. People who walked to work gained an average of 2 pounds less than people who drove. Interestingly, this held true even if the people driving their cars to work performed other types of physical activity during different portions of the day.
Walking Can Help You Avoid Energy Slumps
After you eat a meal, your blood sugar levels can plummet, resulting in grogginess and drowsiness. You can help combat this effect by taking a walk at the right time. Researchers found that breaking walks down into three 15-minute sessions right after meals did a better job of maintaining steady blood sugar levels than taking one 45-minute walk in the middle of the morning or later in the afternoon. Walking is something that all seniors should do because there are a lot of health benefits that come with cardio. Assisting Hands wants everybody to understand how important it is to get some form of physical exercise.
Walking Naturally Enhances Your Mood
The next time you are feeling down, try going for a 10-minute walk. Try to maintain a brisk pace without stressing yourself out in the process. This simple process can help elevate your mood for a couple of hours after your walk is complete. A 1984 study evaluated the effect of walking on mood. Participants were asked to describe how severe any problems they were experiencing in their personal lives were. After they were done, researchers asked them to take a walk for 10 minutes. When their walk was done, they were asked to describe their problems again. After walking, the descriptions of their problems were much less severe. These results were replicated in a similar study that asked participants to describe how optimistic they were both prior to taking a walk and after they got back. Assisting Hands is recognized for being the top senior in-home care providers time and time again.
Walking Can Positively Impact Memory
In 2011, researchers asked elderly participants to take three 40-minute walks each week for an entire year. During that time, the size of the hippocampus in participants grew by an average of 2%. This is the portion of the brain that is responsible for feeling the emotion and controlling memory. Another group of participants was asked to do light stretching exercises. Interestingly, the size of their hippocampi decreased by an average of 1.4%. Although researchers aren’t sure why the changes occurred, it is a good indication that walking can help boost memory.
Walking Could Minimize The Risk Of Heart Disease
It is a well-known fact that cardiovascular exercise helps support heart health. As it turns out, however, you can get the same benefits from taking a long walk as you can from doing more vigorous exercise. In 2013, a study was done comparing the effects on blood pressure between people who ran and people who walked. Both groups were able to drop their blood pressure by a minimum of 4.2% through daily exercise. This, in turn, dropped their risk of developing heart disease by a minimum of 4.5%. The primary difference was that the people who were walking had to go 1.5 times the distance between those who were running to burn the same number of calories. Maintaining excellent health through regular exercise is one of the best ways to avoid the need for respite care for elderly patients.
Walking May Help Prevent Cancer
Being physically active helps your body maintain proper hormone levels, boosts your immunity, and optimizes your metabolism. In 2005, researchers found that patients who were being treated for colorectal cancer had a 60% lower chance of dying from cancer if they walked or performed the light exercise for a minimum of six hours each week when compared to patients who were completely sedentary. Interestingly, the ACS also recently published a report showing that walking for an hour each day could decrease the chance of a woman developing breast cancer by as much as 14%. These results are definitely encouraging.
For more related articles check out our blog or contact us today for assistance by calling 866-924-2442 to speak with a respite care for elderly professional.
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