Walking cuts risk of heart disease

Every year, people around the country—and maybe the world—make New Year’s resolutions, with “get more exercise” making an appearance on almost all the lists. A 2020 poll found that, of the nearly 30 percent of respondents who claimed to make resolutions, 50 percent said exercise topped their lists.

Now that January’s over and most of February, too, some people have abandoned those lists, while others are just getting started. And for those who’ve been putting off exercise, there’s a simple way to start: walking.

Studies show that walking has wide-ranging benefits, including better physical and mental health, increased mindfulness, and enhanced communication skills. And according to a special report from Harvard Medical School, this simple movement can combat disease and other health conditions; walking just 22 minutes per day could reduce your risk of heart disease by 30 percent.

Walking can also lower stress, especially if the activity is done outside. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces were much more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t.

In addition to being hearthealthy, walking helps to strengthen muscles, bones and joints. Leg and abdominal muscles get a workout, but people should also work their arms by pumping them or using trekking poles. And walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which is great for building bone strength. The simple motion helps to carry oxygen and nutrients into joint cartilage, which has no direct blood supply.

Those new to exercising and worried about making the much-touted 10,000 steps per day can relax. Research supported by the National Institutes of Health and published in 2019 found that older women who took 4,400 steps per day had a lower death rate than those taking just 2,700. The benefit of more daily steps levels off around 7,500.