The next time you have got a checkup, don't be surprised in case your doctor gives you a prescription for walking. Yes, this easy activity you've been doing because you were a couple of yr old is now being touted as “the closest thing to a wonder drug we have,” says Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Control and Prevention of Diseases in Vocabulary.
Of course, you almost certainly know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking specifically comes with many advantages. Here's an inventory of 5 that may surprise you.
- Counteracts the consequences of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers examined 32 obesity-promoting genes in greater than 12,000 people to find out how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. Among study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the consequences of those genes were halved.
- Helps to curb sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb chocolate cravings and even reduce the quantity of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the newest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings for quite a lot of sweet and salty foods.
- Reduces the chance of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any variety of physical activity reduces the chance of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that girls who walked seven or more hours every week had a 14 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those that didn't. Runs three hours or less per week. And walking provided protection even with breast cancer risk aspects, similar to being obese or using extra hormones.
- Reduces joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis pain, and that even walking five to 6 miles every week can prevent arthritis from forming in the primary place. Walking protects joints—especially the knees and hips, that are most vulnerable to osteoarthritis—by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
- Boosts immunity. Walking may help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of greater than 1,000 men and girls found that those that walked at the least 20 minutes a day, at the least 5 days every week, were less likely than those that exercised once every week or less. 43 percent fewer sick days in comparison with And in the event that they did get sick, it was for a brief period, and their symptoms were mild.
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