BY W. GIFFORD- JONES MD & DIANA GIFFORD-JONES
Dr. Paul Dudley White, former Professor of Cardiology at the Harvard Medical School, used to ride his bike to class even in his later years. He remarked, “If you want to see how good your brain is, feel your leg muscles!” Biking may not be for everyone, but research shows the simple act of walking is tremendously good for you. Stronger brain and leg muscles are just the beginning. If COVID has got you hunkered down, you’d do well to get out in fresh air for a daily walk.
Metabolic benefits
A study in Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology reports that a brisk walk can decrease the risk of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease just as much as running. This is good news for those who dislike running. Besides, walkers can be more social as they go along, which is itself a boost to good health. People who socialize with friends tend to enjoy better health than loners. A routine with walking companions might lead to longer walks, and the further the distance the greater the health effect.
Walking prevents more than heart attack
Another study reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says a brisk walk decreases the risk of heart failure in postmenopausal women. This study lasted ten years and involved 90,000 women. Its focus was a step in the right direction given the dearth of research on women’s heart health. The same positive result for men who make walking a habit is well known.
Tie up a ship too long and it gets barnacles. A study in Physiological Reports shows that inactivity creates similar problems for humans. Sitting for prolonged periods of time results in “endothelial dysfunction.” Arteries become rigid, making it more difficult for them to contract and relax. This results in reduced blood flow and cardiovascular complications associated with decreased oxygenated blood reaching the kidneys and other organs.
Improved blood sugar level
A study in Diabetology International showed that middle-aged people who walked daily had lower blood sugar, decreased blood pressure, and healthier waist size. Don’t let COVID distract you from other killers. Obesity and diabetes wipe out life for thousands of people daily. Why don’t authorities like the World Health Organization sound the alarms and urge people to get moving as a strategy to prevent these lifestyle diseases?
Less back pain
A study in the journal, Disability and Rehabilitation, revealed an interesting finding for those suffering from chronic back pain. Walking is just as effective in reducing pain, disability, and improving quality of life as workouts specifically designed for relieving back pain.
Improved knee osteoporosis
Many people with knee osteoporosis believe exercise will aggravate this condition. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that a study of 1,566 people who exercised for one hour a week for four years had decreased knee pain compared to those who were relatively inactive.
Increased creativity, mood, and stress reduction
Who does not feel better when walking a scenic path or a trail in the woods? Several studies show a reduction in cortisol, the hormone produced in response to stress, among people who walk in the woods. If you want to get creative, the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests, “Give your ideas some legs.”
But how much walking?
Years ago, a Japanese report suggested that 10,000 steps a day was the magic number for maintaining good health. This figure is easier to achieve during good weather months. At other times, you may have to bundle up and find safe routes or go to indoor spaces conducive for walking, like shopping malls or sports facilities with indoor tracks.
Happy trails!
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Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecology at Harvard. His storied medical career began as a general practitioner, ship’s surgeon, and hotel doctor. For more than 40 years, he specialized in gynecology, devoting his practice to the formative issues of women’s health. In 1975, he launched his weekly medical column that has been published by national and local Canadian and U.S. newspapers. Today, the readership remains over seven million. His advice contains a solid dose of common sense and he never sits on the fence with controversial issues. He is the author of nine books including, “The Healthy Barmaid”, his autobiography “You’re Going To Do What?”, “What I Learned as a Medical Journalist”, and “90+ How I Got There!” Many years ago, he was successful in a fight to legalize heroin to help ease the pain of terminal cancer patients. His foundation at that time donated $500,000 to establish the Gifford-Jones Professorship in Pain Control and Palliative Care at the University of Toronto Medical School. At 93 years of age he rappelled from the top of Toronto’s City Hall (30 stories) to raise funds for children with a life-threatening disease through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Diana Gifford-Jones, the daughter of W. Gifford-Jones, MD, Diana has extensive global experience in health and healthcare policy. Diana is Special Advisor with The Aga Khan University, which operates 2 quaternary care hospitals and numerous secondary hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, and laboratories in South Asia and Africa. She worked for ten years in the Human Development sectors at the World Bank, including health policy and economics, nutrition, and population health. For over a decade at The Conference Board of Canada, she managed four health-related executive networks, including the Roundtable on Socio-Economic Determinants of Health, the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, the Canadian Centre for Environmental Health, and the Centre for Health System Design and Management. Her master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government included coursework at Harvard Medical School. She is also a graduate of Wellesley College. She has extensive experience with Canadian universities, including at Carleton University, where she was the Executive Director of the Global Academy. She lived and worked in Japan for four years and speaks Japanese fluently. Diana has the designation as a certified Chartered Director from The Directors College, a joint venture of The Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University. She has recently published a book on the natural health philosophy of W. Gifford-Jones, called No Nonsense Health – Naturally!
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