How many kilometers is it necessary to walk daily according to age? Know the correct rules of walking and its unmatched benefits
In today’s busy and hectic life, keeping oneself healthy has become a big challenge. To stay fit, people adopt gym, yoga and many other methods, but health experts believe that even today walking is the simplest, safest and most effective means of staying healthy. But this question often arises in people’s mind that how much should they walk every day?
Health experts and many researches have made it clear that the walking range of every person cannot be the same. It entirely depends on your age, physical ability and health condition. From children to the elderly, the standards of walking have been set differently for everyone.
How much daily walking is necessary according to age?
Based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Health Agency (CDC), some special rules of physical activities have been made for people of different ages. Let us understand it in easy language from the table given below:
Special advice for the elderly
Along with walking, people above 65 years of age should also do light activities to maintain the balance of their body. This significantly reduces the risk of falling or getting injured due to weakness of bones in old age.
5 biggest health benefits of daily walking
Taking a regular morning or evening walk works like a reboot button for our entire body. According to medical research, its main benefits are as follows:
1. Helpful in losing weight and burning calories
Regular walking improves the metabolism of the body and burns extra calories, thereby keeping the weight under control. However, how many calories you are able to burn depends on your walking speed, how many kilometers you are walking and your current weight.
2. Keeps the heart completely healthy
Walking improves blood circulation in our body, which keeps blood pressure under control. As you gradually increase the time or distance of your daily walking, the risk of heart diseases reduces to a great extent.
3. Keep blood sugar level low
Instead of lying on the bed or sitting at one place immediately after having a meal, a short walk is like a lifesaver for health. In a medical study of the year 2022, it has been found that whenever you eat food throughout the day, by taking a light walk for a few minutes, the sudden increase in sugar (glucose level) in the blood can be easily controlled. This habit is very beneficial for diabetic patients.
4. Relief from joint and knee pain
Walking is very important to protect your joints, especially knees and hips. Walking strengthens the muscles supporting the joints, which increases flexibility in the joints. Doctors also recommend regular light walking for people suffering from painful problems like arthritis.
5. Boosts immunity
For those who fall ill easily with changing weather, walking is best. According to a study conducted in the year 2018, continuous and regular light exercise or walking strengthens the body’s immunity, which increases the power to fight cold, cough, flu and other seasonal infections.
If you were not serious about your health till now, start with small goals from today itself. Instead of walking too much on the first day, start with a 15-20 minute walk and gradually include it in your habit.
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