British study: Fast walkers live 15 years longer than slow walkers

"Hey, how many steps did you walk yesterday? I walked around the lake several times yesterday, more than 20,000 steps, and I ranked first in the circle of friends!" When the sun came down, Aunt Liu called her good sisters to go for a walk in the park went.

"You've walked too much, aren't you afraid of knee strain? I can't take it anymore after walking 10,000 steps, so I went home a long time ago."

Aunt Liu is 62 years old this year. She likes hiking very much on weekdays. She often goes to the nearby park for several laps.

And since there is a WeChat step count ranking list, it is a base of 20,000 steps per day. In addition to the number of steps, she also likes to fight for speed. She often walks and walks, and no one is seen, and Aunt Liu can't catch up with her at all.

Unexpectedly, in March this year, Aunt Liu felt that her knees were always sore. Later, she went to the hospital for examination and found that her joint cavity fluid had formed effusion, and the effusion was formed because of too much walking!

I don't know when it started, "10,000 steps a day" seems to have become the "standard" for health exercise. For young people, this number of steps may not be a big deal, but for middle-aged and elderly people, it is really suitable. ?

1. Walking speed can predict the length of life. Is it true or false?

In addition to looking at the number of steps, you also need to look at the speed. Is it better to walk faster or slower?

In 2019, a study from Duke University, published in a sub-issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, tracked 1,037 people throughout their lives. The results showed that people who walked slowly had poorer lungs, teeth, and immune systems , weaker balance and coordination of hands and feet, and had a greater "facial age", that is, they were older.

In this regard, Song Yuetao, director of the Research Office of Geriatric Health and the Integration of Medical and Nursing at Beijing Geriatrics Hospital, said that it makes sense that walking speed can predict life expectancy .

People who walk faster generally have stronger heart and lung function. If you are short of breath after walking a few steps, you will definitely not be able to walk fast, and your life expectancy will not be optimistic.

Regarding walking speed, there is a saying that "people who walk fast live 15 years longer than those who walk slowly", is it true?

This statement comes from a study published in the Mayo Clinic Journal in 2019. The researchers followed up 475,000 middle-aged and elderly people in the UK for 7 years and found that people who walk fast live 15-20 years longer than those who walk slowly .

We all know that a person who is frail will have slower steps. However, as an observational study, it does not mean that walking fast is the reason for longevity, and it cannot be said that increasing walking speed can prolong life .

The researchers also pointed out in the paper that it is currently impossible to make a clear causal relationship between the speed of steps and lifespan.

Physical health is more important than walking speed. If a person is too thin and malnourished, walking too fast will not prolong their life; if a person is too fat and has a too large waist, if they want to live longer, they need to stretch their legs and keep their mouths shut.

2. Adhere to walking and exercise, there are many benefits

Life lies in exercise, but for the elderly whose physical function begins to decline, it may not be suitable for some high-intensity sports, and walking exercise is a good choice.

1. Walking is a "diet pill"

Walking is the easiest way to lose weight. Walking briskly every day can mobilize muscles and fats, and help consume excess body calories. Walking briskly for 40-60 minutes each time can have a good fat burning effect.

2. Walking is a "hypertensive drug"

A study published by the Third Hospital of Peking University in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that walking every day for 3 months can effectively reduce blood pressure by about 2-3mmHg. Walking can consume a certain amount of oxygen, thereby activating the oxygen delivery mechanism of the whole body and helping to lower blood pressure.

3. Walking is a "hypoglycemic drug"

Walking is also beneficial for diabetes. Exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, improve bone function, and prevent diabetes complications.

4. Walking is a "laxative"

Constipation is related to intestinal peristalsis, and walking and exercise can improve the digestive ability of the intestine, promote defecation, effectively relieve constipation, and have a certain effect on the prevention of rectal cancer.

3. Walking 10,000 steps a day proved to be "ineffective"! How much should the elderly walk?

The so-called "10,000 steps a day" is just marketing, and this statement is just to make the product sell better. According to the current research data, "walking 10,000 steps a day" is not suitable for all ages and physical function levels.

Published in the "JAMA Network Open" of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a joint study from Northwestern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and other universities. A study found that walking 7,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of death by 70%!

At the same time, the researchers found that taking more than 10,000 steps was not associated with a further reduction in the risk of death, and walking more did not reduce the risk any further .

Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people, there is no need to compete with the number of steps. How much should middle-aged and elderly people walk?

Recently, a research team led by Dr. Amanda E Paluch from the University of Massachusetts Amherst published an important research result in The Lancet: as the number of steps increased, the all-cause mortality of the population gradually decreased, and To further point out -

• Over 60 years old, the optimal number of steps per day is 6000-8000 steps;
• Under the age of 60, the optimal number of steps per day is 8000-10000 steps.

Overall, there was no clear link between walking speed and risk of death, and there was no additional benefit to walking more steps, the researchers said. Moderate walking was best .

Many middle-aged and elderly people worry that walking too much will hurt their knees, so is there any way to protect the knee joints?

1. Take big steps

When walking, take a big step and throw your arms away. This position is more conducive to reducing the cushioning of the ground on the knee.

2. Walk with strength

When the heel is ready to leave the ground, you can push hard to reduce the pressure on the forefoot and knee.

3. Wear a pair of "good shoes" when walking

When walking, try to choose shoes with cushioning, which can cushion the ground reaction force when walking, thereby protecting the knee joint.

Exercise is good for health, but over-exercise does not necessarily have obvious advantages, and sometimes because of wrong posture, it will lead to "extremely counterproductive" and let the body fall into pain.

Therefore, exercise must be done in moderation, especially for the elderly. Don't force yourself for a "goal", but instead "break down" the body.

References:

[1] "Walking speed can predict the length of life? Follow this and live longer...". China Biotechnology Network. 2021-09-04

[2] "Isn't the more the better? JAMA sub-issue: 7,000 steps a day can minimize the risk of death". Popular Science China. 2022-01-16

[3] "Lancet" sub-issue: 10,000 steps per day? Look at the age! Scientists analyzed the data of nearly 50,000 people and pointed out that the elderly do not have to walk 10,000 steps a day, and 6000-8000 is enough to meet their health needs." Singularity Network. 2022-03-1

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