Studies have found that walking can prolong your life, and walking after meals can keep all kinds of chronic metabolic disorders at bay.
And although we’ve known that walking has immense benefits for the body for a long time now, a 2003-2006 study whose results were made public just recently, shows that people who walk 8000 steps daily have a 51% reduced risk of dying early than those who walk 4000 steps daily.
Also, many experts have agreed previously, the study found a cumulative effect dependent on the dose and the person, and people who walked 12,000 steps daily or more had a 65% reduced risk of dying early.
The researchers had 5000 people wearing pedometers for a period of 3 years and their circumstances of death were followed closely by scientists.
Start now, live longer
Physical movement is the best way to obtain a strong and long-lasting body.
Even the smallest efforts in exercise can be of great benefit to you in the long run. In the above-mentioned research, the steps were not made all at once, suggesting that on numerous occasions, the pedometer wearer was not even walking around just for the sake of exercise but simply doing things like housework and going to the store.
The studies also suggest that you don’t even need to power walk in order to get to a healthier state and prolong your lifespan!
According to the CDC, around 60%, or 165 million US residents, have one chronic disease, while 40% may be having two. By medical expert Chris Kressner’s estimations, the cost of all these illnesses will equal national GDP by the year 2040.
Thankfully, these chronic diseases can be fought off or improved by simply going on walks – especially after eating.
Global findings
People in countries like Italy and France have adopted after-meal walks and couples love to go out for walks in the open during the day, or under street lights.
Going for a walk after eating, especially after dinner, can vastly reduce your chances of getting cardiovascular disease.
Another research that studied Chinese type-2 diabetics discovered that walking on a treadmill at 60% of the maximum heart rate for only 20 minutes after dinner lowered the spike of post-meal blood glucose, and improved the way in which glucose was regulated 12 hours after the meal.
In a study in Pakistan, people suffering from gastro reflux who chose to go for a walk after dinner instead of sitting in one place were at a much lower risk of getting symptoms of gastro reflux.
Another research found that in 64 people, “the effect of after-dinner quick walking is significant in the treatment of community fatty liver [disease] and it may improve liver function.”
Other studies with fewer people involved also found great benefits regarding post-dinner walks.
So, what are we all waiting for? Let’s get walking!
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