• Fit.HIIW: How to lose more weight in less time while walking

  • In shape: the simple test that will help you burn more calories while you walk

Walking, and I'm not talking about 'shopping', is a

very healthy and enjoyable physical activity

that helps reduce stress and, above all, it doesn't cost money.

The advantages of walking daily are innumerable but we must be clear about one premise:

we cannot expect miracles overnight

.

What are the

real benefits

, according to various scientific studies from prestigious universities around the world?

Here are the highlights:

1.

Walking at a

good pace for at least half an hour a day reduces the risk of heart attacks and cerebrovascular diseases by almost 30%.

Although there is still little 'literature' about it, there is enough data to affirm that it

enhances immune function,

protecting us in cold seasons from colds and flu.

2.

Reduces pain related to arthritis.

It also

protects the

ankle, knee and hip

joints

- which are more susceptible to osteoarthritis - by lubricating them, strengthening the muscles and giving stability to the ligamentous structures that support them.

3.

The American Cancer Society found that

women who walked a minimum of seven hours a week reduced their risk of breast cancer by 14%

compared to those who

walked

less than three hours a week.

4.

Brisk walking daily

for 45 minutes promotes fat burning

, weight control, metabolic changes and, consequently, the fight against overweight, obesity and an increasingly pressing disease in our society: the

type 2 diabetes

.

5.

According to a large study conducted in older adults and published in the 'American Journal of Preventive Medicine',

people who walk at least 150 minutes per week were 20% less likely to die during the next 13 years

than inactive adults.

WEATHER

What is the minimum time that we must take to obtain results?

"For a person with a basic level of physical activity, the goal will be to walk

no less than 20-30 minutes for five days a week

.

However, many experts question the official health and well-being guides that are committed to 'assessing' exercise in minutes and hence the formula of calibrating effort by

counting the number of steps

has gained adherents

.

However, the belief that

10,000 steps a day

is a desirable mark for anyone who wants to take care of their health has an unscientific origin.

To accept its real validity,

both the steps taken by the research subjects and the conditions

under which

they take them should be

accurately monitored

.

What advantages will we obtain with the use of a heart rate monitor?

Here are some:

1.

By offering us information in real time about the physical activity that we are developing, it allows us to

control the intensity

and know if our work requires a little more effort or, on the contrary, is too intense and we need to lower the rhythm to achieve a

session safe

and sustainable over time.

In addition, it helps us to know if we are entering the

fat burning zone

- if this is our goal - or, if on the contrary, we are using another substrate as energy fuel.

2. It

shows the

calories burned with greater precision

since it takes into account the intensity of the sessions, as well as our personal characteristics, such as gender, maximum heart rate, height, age or weight.

3.

Offers

extra motivation

by showing us our tolerance for effort each day as well as our progress in terms of calories burned or other data.

Not having a heart rate monitor, however, does not mean that we cannot measure the intensity of walking since

our own perception can help us to know if we are walking at the desired pace

.

There are several subjective techniques such as the Borg Scale, measuring the heart rate with one's own fingers and the 'speaking test' which basically consists of checking if we can carry on a conversation while walking at a light, moderate or vigorous intensity.

David Blanco Vega

is a member of the Official College of Graduates of PE and Physical Activity and Sports Sciences of the Community of Madrid (number 13,197).

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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