Walking is considered one of the best exercises. It’s simple, low-impact, convenient, and it doesn’t require anything but a reliable pair of walking shoes. Best of all, it can keep your heart strong. According to the CDC, cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in the United States. Combined with a low-fat diet, regular exercise such as walking, can help prevent heart disease in a few ways. Here are 3 of them:
It reduces plaque on your artery walls. Arterial plaque build-up causes heart disease. A heart attack is caused by the complete blockage of a blood vessel by plaque, producing a blood clot.
It helps to control weight. Keeping your BMI within a normal range of (18.5-24.9) lowers your heart disease risk.
It lowers resting heart rate. Normal resting heart rate ranges from 60-100 beats per minute. If at rest and your heart rate is often above 100 beats per minute, this could indicate that your heart is straining, so you should consider speaking to your provider. Even if you have a family history of heart disease, a walk a day can keep you around longer. An early Harvard study found that walking 165 minutes a week at a rate of 2 mph was enough to lower the risk of a heart attack. This means that a 24-minute walk each day, such as during a lunch break or after dinner, can save your life. Walking also has been shown to help cardio patients recover from and prevent the recurrence of a heart attack.
Before beginning any new physical activity, please remember to talk to your provider. READY, SET ... WALK!
"Your body is built for walking." - Gary Yanker