It improves endurance, lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of diabetes, lowers cholesterol and fat levels in the blood and also improves one’s mood and sexual potency. It is very clear today that walking is a sure recipe for maintaining health and for prolonging life.

While new gym facilities open in great numbers each year, who said one must present him/herself at the running track at 6:00 a.m. each morning in order to lead a healthy life? Dozens of studies published within the last few years indicate the efficiency of the most basic and time-old physical activity of them all: walking.

Yes, while going to work, with the dog in the park or on designated pedestrian walking paths, walking improves the heart, reduces complications of diabetes, lowers cholesterol levels, prevents high blood pressure, enriches one’ sex life and even improves one’s mood.

The staff at MyHealthPortal remind us that walking is the most basic and convenient activity available. This type of physical activity is appropriate for everyone and it stimulates the entire body. Walking is an aerobic activity in every sense of the word. It improves endurance and blood flow and causes dozens of other body processes to operate more efficiently.

The MyHealthPortal team carried out an in-depth review of dozens of recent studies published in medical journals, all of which indicated a direct connection between walking and a range of health related issues. We have gathered a number of the large studies for you, just before you leave on your walk.

Prevents Heart and Blood Vessel Diseases

A study performed by scientists at the University of North Carolina in the U.S. found that extended, moderate physical activity is better for preventing heart disease than vigorous, short bursts of activity. A study published in the journal “Chest” found that people who walked for 125-200 minutes weekly and covered some 20 kilometers in distance improved their aerobic fitness and prevented heart disease, more so than people who engaged in strenuous activity for a similar amount of time.

All subjects also improved their oxygen consumption and tired less when compared with their pre-study data. “Subjects who exercised moderately, i.e. walked, reached 40-50% of their maximum fitness capability and still safeguarded their hearts,” said Dr. Brian Douches of the research team. “Talking a walk around the neighborhood after supper will do. It is not necessary to run or to knock oneself out in the gym.”

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School found that walking significantly reduces the risk of heart attack in women. A study published in “The New England Journal of Medicine” in 1990 showed that women who walked at the pace of 4.5 kilometers per hour for five or more hours weekly reduced their risk of heart attack by 50%.

Two years later, an additional study published in the same journal showed that brisk paced walking is just as effective as running in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The study, which included 74,000 women between the ages of 50-79, found that walking for 2 ½ hours per week reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke by one third.

Another study done by the same researchers found that walking 40 minutes per day, at least 5 times per week, restored elasticity of the arteries in the neck in menopausal women to the same level as before the cessation of menstruation. That elasticity is extremely important, as constriction of these arteries is considered to be a significant factor for stroke risk.

Reduces Blood Pressure

In 1999 the periodical “Annals of Internal Medicine” reported a study done in Japan among 6,017 healthy men, aged 35-60. Researchers tested the blood pressure of subjects who filled out various questionnaires regarding their health and daily habits.

The study found that walking 11-20 minutes per day reduced the risk of high blood pressure by some 12%. Walking daily for 21 minutes or longer reduced the risk by 30%. Processing of the overall data showed that for each 26 men who walked more than 20 minutes per day, it is possible to prevent one case of high blood pressure.

Increases “Good Cholesterol”

A study published in the American medical journal “Gerontology” showed that women aged 70-87 who walked three times weekly for 10 weeks increased the levels of their “good cholesterol”, HDL, and reduced their triglyceride levels. A parallel study showed that walking even reduced levels of “bad cholesterol”, LDL, in the blood, which constitutes a significant risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Reduces the Risk of Diabetes

Researchers at Harvard University examined the connection between physical activity and the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. (adult diabetes) The study, which was conducted over the course of eight years and followed 70,102 healthy nurses, was published in 2000 in the periodical “Watch Cardiology” and found that 1,419 of the nurses contracted diabetes during that period.

After processing the data, it was found that women who walked briskly had a 25% lower risk of contracting diabetes than women who did not walk at all. Another study, published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” found that moderate physical activity, such as walking, reduces the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes at a rate of up to 50%.

More Walking, Less Cancer

A number of years ago the medical journal “Clinical Oncology” reported a study which examined 832 people with advanced intestinal cancer who had been through surgery and subsequent chemotherapy. Those who walked for six hours weekly at a rate of 3-4 kilometers per hour, beginning six months after the conclusion of the chemical treatment, had a 50% longer life expectancy than those who took part in no physical activity.

Another study, published in the same journal, encompassed 22,000 men aged 40-84 and found that daily walking reduces the risk of developing polyps and malignant tumors in the large intestine by some 50%. Another study, published in 1999 in the “Archives of Internal Medicine,” examined 122,000 women aged 30-55 and found that walking for seven hours or longer per week reduced the risk of breast cancer by some 20%. Similar findings were found in a parallel study done among women aged 25-42.

Reduces the Development of Dementia

Two separate studies, both published in 2004 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” found that walking reduces the risk of dementia type diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. The first study examined 2,000 men aged 71 and up, during the years 1991-1997.

The subjects went through various neurological tests which showed that those who had not walked regularly had double the risk of contracting dementia. The other study examined 18,766 women aged 70 and up. These subjects filled out questionnaires every two years, beginning in 1986. The study showed that women who walked weekly for 1 ½ hours or more achieved higher scores on thought process tests than did women who walked each week for 40 minutes or less.

A study published in 1999 in the scientific journal “Nature” found that walking transfers large quantities of oxygen to the frontal areas of the cerebral cortex. The subjects, aged 60 and up, walked regularly and showed improved reaction time while performing various tasks, whether they had participated in physical activity in the past or not.

Alleviates Symptoms of Menopause

A study published a number of years ago in the American periodical “Behavioral Medicine” found that walking improves the symptoms of menopause. The study, which was performed over the course of four months and included 164 women, found that half of the subjects, aged 50 and up, who walked for 30 minutes or more each week, reported relieved symptoms, including alleviated anxiety and a reduction in hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Benefits Smoking Cessation

Walking for even a few minutes per day may benefit smoking cessation, thus found researchers from Exeter University in Britain. The study, which was published recently in the journal “Addictions,” examined 12 earlier studies which dealt with the connection between physical activity and nicotine detoxification. The researchers found that those who participated regularly in physical activity, such as walking, suffered less from the symptoms of nicotine detoxification which characterize smoking cessation.

Alternate Therapy for Depression

A study that was published in 1999 in the periodical “Archives of Internal Medicine” and conducted by scientists from Duke University found that brisk walking for 30 minutes, three times per week, is just as efficient as anti depressant medications in people of middle age and older.

Improves Sex

A study published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” in 2000 included 1,700 men aged 40-70 and found that walking, like other forms of moderate daily physical activity, reduced the risk of erection problems. The researchers explained that the physical activity improves blood flow to the penis, thus allowing one to achieve erection in a proper manner.

Walking Prolongs Life

It is not only the heart, lungs and blood vessels which benefit from walking. Studies indicate that walking also contributes in no small way to cancer patients, even as far as to prolong life. “There is no doubt that walking improves cancer patients’ quality of life and the length of their lives,” says Professor Raphael Katan.

“Walking positively affects breast cancer patients, those with intestinal and prostate cancer and apparently also those with other types of cancer, although it is not yet clear to what degree walking should be utilized. Should one work strenuously and get out of breath, or is moderate daily walking sufficient.”

According to Prof. Katan, a number of theories have been posed regarding the effect of walking on malignant tumors. One theory claims that muscle activity while walking causes the muscles to secrete various substances which hinder malignant tumors. Another theory claims that since blood flow to the tumor does not change during physical activity, but it does increase to the rest of the organs at that time, in effect the blood flow is decreased to the tumor, thus possibly hindering its progress.

If You are Able to Talk While Walking, You are Not Making Enough of an Effort

Many experts, among them those at MyHealthPortal, agree that walking should leave one breathless. We say that if you are able to continue talking while walking, the pace is not too high. Walking in this manner for 30-60 minutes daily contributes significantly to your health.

10 rules for proper walking

How does one reap the maximum benefit from walking?

Here are the rules for healthy and efficient walking:

1. Shoes: Equip yourself with proper shoes. Please note, the soles on running shoes are not even along the entire shoe, thus they are not suited for walking.
2. Socks: Be sure to wear a sport sock which is not too thin, to prevent chafing on your feet as a result of friction against the shoe.
3. Music: If you do not have a walking partner, bring an MP3 player or an iPod. Listening to music while walking will provide you with rhythm and energy to continue walking.
4. Stretch: Make sure to stretch before and after walking to prevent muscle cramps and improve walking ability.
5. Arms: Use your arms while walking (swing them back and forth according to your walking pace) in order to improve aerobic ability.
6. Alternate Routes: Alternate your walking routes from time to time. A constant walking route quickly turns walking into a boring ritual. Try to choose designated, level walking paths, as may be found in nearly every urban park. If you reach a cross walk continue walking in place in order to keep your pulse constant.
7. Times: Make sure to walk for at least 3 times weekly, for at least 30 minutes each time. Over time, try to lengthen the routes and frequency of your walks, up to 5 times per week.
8. Caution: If the walking area is dark, wear illuminated reflector tape so you may be seen from afar. For those walking along a busy road, be sure to walk facing oncoming traffic in order to see the approaching cars.
9. Clothing: Wear layers on cold days. This will allow you to shed them as your body heats up and begins to sweat while walking.

10. Liquids: Be sure to drink ample amounts before and after

walking. If you carry a knapsack, be sure to include a bottle of

water.