Cure diseases and keep fit! The Lancet recommends the most cost-effective exercise, which many people ignore!

Walking may only require you to prepare a pair of comfortable shoes, but it brings so many benefits that it can be called the "most cost-effective" sport.

Latest research:

Walking can effectively prevent recurring lower back pain

Back pain is one of the common chronic pains that has long troubled people. It often recurs, causing great distress. In addition to common treatments such as medication and surgery, exercise rehabilitation also plays a role in the treatment and prevention of recurrence of lower back pain.

In June 2024, a team from Australia published a study in the internationally renowned medical journal The Lancet. The results of the study showed that walking is not only a low-cost, low-risk exercise, but also can significantly reduce the recurrence of lower back pain, especially for those who are just starting to suffer from back pain.

Researchers say walking not only improves patients' quality of life, but also reduces their need for medical care and the time spent on it by about half.

Why

Is walking the most cost-effective exercise?

Walking is a simple and easy way of exercise that is suitable for most people to do at any time. It is not only simple and easy, but also effective, and is a very cost-effective exercise method.

Walking has many benefits for physical health. It can help enhance cardiopulmonary function, promote blood circulation, lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

1

Reduce cardiovascular disease risk

A study presented at the 2023 American Heart Association (AHA) found that walking more is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. Specifically, adults who walked more than 4,500 steps per day had a 77% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to adults who walked less than 2,000 steps per day.

2

Reduces risk of diabetes

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2023 pointed out that as long as the walking speed is fast enough, the risk of diabetes will be reduced! Among them, very fast walking (>6.5 km/h) was associated with a 39% lower risk of diabetes compared with leisure walking (<3 km/h).

3

Reduced cancer risk

A 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 11 minutes a day (75 minutes a week) of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Especially for certain specific cancers, the risk reduction is greater, such as head and neck cancer, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, cardia cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer.

4

Helps lower blood pressure

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension in 2021 found that after three months of brisk walking, most people's blood pressure dropped by about 2 to 3 mmHg. For patients with hypertension, brisk walking 4,000 to 8,000 steps a day can achieve ideal results in lowering high blood pressure.

Copyrighted stock images, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

5

Enhance cognitive function

As we age, the part of the brain responsible for memory shrinks. One study found that walking three times a week for 40 minutes each time can increase the size of the hippocampus in older adults, which is associated with memory and learning and may reduce age-related cognitive decline.

6

Reduce the risk of falls

Regular walking helps maintain and improve lower body strength and flexibility, which is important for maintaining independence and mobility. Older adults who walk regularly have better leg strength, balance, and flexibility than those who do not walk. Walking, combined with other balance and strength exercises, can reduce the risk of falls in older adults.

7

Maintain a healthy weight

Regular walking can help you maintain a healthy weight or lose excess pounds, reducing your risk of obesity-related health problems.

8

Makes you feel happy

Exercise can make people happy, and its benefits on regulating mental health are obvious.

9

Reduce loneliness

Walking in groups or with friends and family can promote social connections, reduce loneliness and isolation, and have significant positive effects on well-being and social functioning.

Copyrighted stock images, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes

Therefore, we might as well subconsciously walk a few more steps in our daily lives - get off the bus one stop earlier on the way to and from get off work, or take a walk during lunch break; arrange activities that require walking during leisure time, visit parks, go shopping together, etc. Improve health and reduce the risk of disease.

Walking without hurting your knees, remember these points

Although walking is good, don't walk blindly and fast, especially the elderly should be more careful. You must proceed step by step, start slowly, and adjust according to your physical condition. If you feel uncomfortable during walking, you must stop in time.

1

Walking steps: 8,000 steps

The more steps you walk, the better. It depends on the individual, and a moderate amount of exercise is best.

For those who don't usually exercise much, walking too much can easily lead to knee injuries and knee pain. Especially for some obese people, who are overweight, their joints are prone to wear and tear. If you walk too much, the degree of wear and tear on the joints will increase, causing knee pain.

A study published in The Lancet Public Health in 2022 determined the optimal number of steps per day for people of different ages to achieve the greatest benefit in reducing the risk of death:

The best number of steps for people aged 18 to 60: 8,000 to 10,000 steps;

The best number of steps for people over 60 years old: 6000~8000 steps.

2

Walking posture - 6 key points

In addition, the correct walking posture is also very important. If the posture is incorrect, walking too much will aggravate the pain in the joints.

The 2023 Chinese Expert Consensus on Exercise Prescription recommends: When walking, keep your back straight, relax your neck and shoulders, gently tighten your abdomen, slightly retract your lower jaw, and look straight ahead, so that your ears, shoulders, and hips are in the same vertical line. Use your shoulder joints as the axis and swing your arms naturally back and forth. It is best to keep them from going beyond your shoulders in front and your waist in the back.

Liu Qiang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics at Peking University People's Hospital, once introduced a set of tips for "painless walking" that can reduce the recoil force of the knee joint when walking, thereby reducing or even eliminating pain.

Tip 1: Correct the "outward eight"

When walking, keep your toes pointed straight ahead and your feet the same distance apart as your pelvis.

Tip 2: Show the soles of your shoes

When the front foot lands, the heel touches the ground lightly, and the sole of the shoe is exposed forward when taking a step.

Tip 3: Take big steps

Take long steps and swing your arms wide when you walk.

Tip 4: Push off the ground with force

When your back foot leaves the ground, push off the ground with force.

Tip 5: Choose the right shoes

Choose the right shoes, such as jogging shoes, which can cushion the ground recoil when walking, thus protecting the knee joints. You should check your shoes every six months. If the heel is worn, the heel socket collapses to one side, or the elasticity of the sole or heel is significantly reduced, you should replace it with a new one.

Tip 6: Raise your legs often

The muscles at the front of the leg, the quadriceps, are the best at protecting the knee joint. Regular leg curls can help maintain or even strengthen these muscles.

References

[1]Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualized, progressive walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack): a randomized controlled trial.thelancet.Published online June 19, 2024

[2]More Steps Reduce Risk for New Cardiovascular Events in Older Adults https://www.e-healthdomains.com/news/more-steps-reduce-risk-for-new-cardiovascular-events-in-older-adults/

[3]Jayedi A, Zargar M, Emadi A, et al Walking speed and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 28 November 2023.

[4]Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality outcomes: a dose response meta-analysis of large prospective studies, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669

[5]Dose-effect relationship between brisk walking and blood pressure in Chinese occupational population with sedentary lifestyles: Exercise and blood pressure. J Clin Hypertens, 2021 Aug 13.

[6] 2023-04-20 People's Daily Health Account "The Fat Man Who Wants to Be a Good Doctor" "Walking Exercise Has 7 Benefits for the Elderly! To Avoid Sports Injuries, Doctors Give You 9 Suggestions"

[7] 2020-10-08 Dr. Sun Luning, "Will walking hurt your knees? Here's how to walk the right way!"

[8]Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3, E219-E228, MARCH 2022.

[9] Expert Group on "Chinese Expert Consensus on Exercise Prescription (2023)". Chinese Expert Consensus on Exercise Prescription (2023)[J]. Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023, 42(1): 3-13.

[10] 2021-09-13 Peking University People’s Hospital “Learn to walk like this, and you can walk 10,000 steps a day without hurting your knees!”

Planning and production

Source: Health Times

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin