5 surprising benefits of walking
Walking and joint health: what the claims mean
Walking can ease arthritis symptoms and support the muscles around joints, but no weekly distance guarantees that arthritis will not develop. Risk also depends on factors such as age, previous joint injury, weight and inherited susceptibility. The study percentages discussed below describe groups of participants, not promised results for an individual.
Choose activity suited to your condition and build up gradually. If joint pain or stiffness has changed the way you walk, seek advice from a clinician or physiotherapist before starting a walking programme. Do less and take more breaks if exercise causes lasting joint pain. Walking is part of joint care, not a replacement for treatment or a reason to stop prescribed medicine.
Current joint-care guidance: Arthritis Foundation
At your next check-up, do not be surprised if your doctor writes you a prescription to walk. This simple activity you have practiced since about age one has been called "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug" by a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Any physical activity, walking included, is a boon to your overall health - you probably know that already. But walking in particular delivers a host of benefits. Here are five that may surprise you.
Counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Researchers examined 32 obesity-promoting genes in more than 12,000 people to gauge how much those genes actually contribute to body weight. Among participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.
Helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of university studies found that a 15-minute walk can curb chocolate cravings and even reduce how much chocolate you eat under stress. Later research confirms that walking can dampen cravings for, and intake of, a range of sugary snacks.
Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Physical activity of any kind is already known to blunt breast cancer risk. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer. Walking provided this protection even for women with breast cancer risk factors such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.
Eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain. The source newsletter discussed walking five to six miles a week, but that distance is not a guaranteed threshold for preventing arthritis. Walking protects the joints, especially the osteoarthritis-prone knees and hips, by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
Boosts immune function. Walking can help shield you during cold and flu season. In a study of more than 1,000 men and women, those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least five days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And when they did fall ill, it lasted a shorter time with milder symptoms.
