A study led by researchers from Spain reveals that the less you walk per day, the greater the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases or Cancer. It is not the first time that research has associated walking with a longer and healthier life, but this work differentiates itself by evaluating not only the number of steps that should be taken daily, but also the duration that this effort should last.
Longer walks tend to be more beneficial for health, study indicates Photo: Studio Romantic/Adobe Stock
The longer the period of movement, the better for your health, according to the article published in October in the magazine Annals of Internal Medicine. The investigation analyzed health data from 33,000 people from the UK Biobank, a British survey that monitors volunteers for research into health and disease prevention. The individuals selected for evaluation walked up to 8,000 steps per day, were, on average, 62 years old at the beginning of the study and had no illnesses.
After eight years of monitoring, the results demonstrate that steps accumulated during long stretches of walking are more important for maintaining health. longevity than short walks spread throughout the day.
Deaths were more frequent among people who walked for continuous periods of less than five minutes a day: in this group, 4.36% of individuals died. Among those who moved for more than 15 minutes at a time, the index fell to 0.84%.
The incidence of cardiovascular disease maintained a similar pattern: among volunteers in the group who walked for less than five minutes, 13.03% had these problems. In the group that walked the longest, the rate was 4.39%.
“What science shows today is that the main protective factor is accumulating steps throughout the day. Something around 7,000 steps a day already greatly reduces cardiovascular risk”, observes cardiologist and sports doctor Luciana Janot, from Einstein Hospital Israelita. “But there is a plus: when part of these steps comes from longer walks, of at least 15 continuous minutes, the benefit to the heart It’s even bigger.”
It is already known that walking reduces the risk of heart attack, AVC and chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension e depression. You just have to do it the right way. “The ideal recipe has three components: quantity, regularity and moments of continuous activity”, highlights Luciana. Note that this tripod does not include intensity. Previously, it was thought that walking quickly was an important factor, but maintaining a regular exercise routine over long distances and for a long time should be the focus, especially for those looking to stop being sedentary. “You don’t need to walk until you’re panting. Maintaining a comfortable, but continuous pace is enough”, advises the doctor.
Walk towards a longer life
The Spanish study suggests that continuous walking has this protective effect by keeping the heart at a high level of activity for longer, which improves blood circulation and increases the flexibility of the arteries.
In the research, elderly people who moved for less continuous walking time were those who had worse cardiovascular results.
“Longer walks, especially for people who were sedentary, allow for the activation of cardiovascular and metabolic mechanisms in a more sustainable way, such as glucose regulation and vascular function, which are not completely stimulated by short journeys”, observes sports doctor Borja Del Pozo Cruz, lead author of the research, to Einstein Agency. “They also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce inflammation.”
Think about the duration of a physical activity it also allows you to understand that the steps taken throughout a day are not the same. “Health guides should consider both the quality and the way in which these steps are accumulated throughout the day. Furthermore, a measure of time is easier for people to understand effectively”, concludes Cruz.
