OK, you’re not a geezer but walking will help you look and feel younger at any age.
The benefits of walking for healthy aging are numerous and in the About.com article, ”Walking as an Anti-Aging Exercise” by Mark Stibich, Ph.D. gives us his outlook:
- How Much Walking Should I Do For Anti-Aging? - That’s a really good question. In this study, the walking group met three times a week. They started out slowly, walking only 10 or minutes the first time. Over the four months, they built up to walking 40 minutes each time.
- How Much Did Walking Help Aging? - All the study participants were given tests before and after the study to assess their physical fitness. These tests included their lung capacity and how well they could perform simple daily tasks. At the beginning of the study the walking group was similar to the nutritional education group. By the end of the study, there were differences:
- The walkers’ aerobic capacity increased 19% (it declined by 9% for the non-walkers.
- The walkers’ physical function score increased by 25% while the non-walkers decreased by 8.3%.
- The disability risk (a measure of the probability that a person would have a disability) decreased by 41%.
Now get going and start that spring walking program a month early. Your bathing suit will thank you later.
“So is walking the perfect anti-aging exercise? Well, in my opinion, the best exercise is the one that you do. For most people walking is accessible enough and often includes a social element (if you walk with a buddy) than people are successful at establishing a walking routine. For anti-aging, this is a great place to start.”
That’s enough for me. I’m walking forever. I’ll see you later. Got to get walking, back in time. That’s right, reversing the aging process. Well, maybe not reversing but slowing down, like a well placed speed bump.
MikeZ_walking toward a younger me.
Please consult your physician before starting any exercise or weight loss program. Your physician is your very best resource.
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