Cardiovascular Health Improves With One Hour Walking Daily

Hour Walk A Day

Walking improves cardiovascular health

Although benefits of walking for an hour a day have been known for quite some time now, the results of the study conducted by Stanford University, California, have proven them beyond doubt. The study focused on the benefits of walking on the cardiovascular health of a person. The results were conclusive of the fact that health improves drastically by walking for an hour everyday. Further, walking for an hour adds years to a person’s life.The study

Walking is an excellent cardio exercise that helps in dilating arteries and aiding free movement of blood. As a result, unhealthy pressure on the heart eases and it remains healthy. The process of expansion and contraction of heart is called vasodilatation. Due to walking, this capacity increases by almost 50%. The current research was conducted on two hundred and twelve people of both the genders. The age group of participants was between sixty and seventy-two. The people selected for the study did not have any previous history of heart ailments. Some of them were made to walk for an hour a day while others were on a low physical activity routine.

What does the study reveal?

According to the study, people who walked for an hour a day showed better vasodilatation. As the assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, Michael McConnell states, more exercise leads to better dilation and better dilation of the vessel, leads to its enhanced health. The study revealed that men who walked for an hour showed a 50% improvement in dilation of arteries when compared to those who were on low activity levels. McConnell further stated that those who participated in higher intensity activities like tennis and swimming registered double the dilation.

Benefits of walking

Walking helps in improving metabolism of the body. A high metabolism rate helps in faster burning of fats in the body and hence, fats are prevented from depositing in the arteries. Fat that is deposited in the arteries can lead to strokes and heart attacks, not to mention high pressure on the heart. Walking prevents narrowing of arteries and promotes flow of blood.

Ramifications of the study

The study on benefits of walking for an hour should motivate people to include higher activity levels in their lifestyle. Walking is the easiest kind of cardiovascular exercise as it does not put pressure on the joints and cause other kinds of musculoskeletal injuries. A healthy heart not only implies a long life but a healthy long life that can be free from the clutches of drugs and doctors.