Online CPR Certification Blog
How can Walking Daily Benefit the Heart
Date: December 4th, 2018
Walking can have a positive effect on the health of your heart. Regular walking is a simple yet effective way of reducing the risk of deadly heart attacks. In this post, you will learn about scientific backed benefits of walking, particularly for the heart.
Also, you will learn some tips to benefit the most from this exercise.
What does Science say About Walking and Heart Disease?
A lot of studies have found a positive relationship between walking and heart health. One study that was published in the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine stated that walking had a significant linear trend in systolic and diastolic blood pressure over time. The researchers had randomly selected 355 individuals and found that daily walking results in a positive impact on the heart due to improved blood circulation.
Walking is a moderate exercise that is great for people of all ages.
Heavy exercise increases the risk of heart attack in elderly individuals. A Swedish study had found that people who engaged in moderate exercise lived longer. The study had made the revelation that moderate exercise such as walking is, in fact, better than heavy exercise.
The researchers had cited that heavy workout like strength training, long-distance running, and even rigorous aerobic exercises put a strain on the heart. They had followed around 33,000 men between the period 1998 and 2012 and found that walking for two miles had a 26 percent reduced risk of a heart attack. People can reduce the risk of a heart attack significantly by not smoking, limiting alcohol intake and maintaining a healthy body mass index.
Guidelines for Walking
Walking puts less strain on the body. As a result, you can carry out this exercise for longer duration. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, healthy adults should carry on brisk walking for about 30 minutes each day. The benefit of walking depends on the duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise.
You can mix walking with other physical activities like jogging, gardening, climbing stairs, and swimming. This will result in maximum benefits to the heart. But avoid a heavy workout as it can increase the risk of heart problems.
Consider matching the walking exercise to your health and age. Obese individuals should walk for longer periods. On the other hand, senior adults should limit walking to 20 minutes per day to avoid strain on the heart.
Lastly, you should learn first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Learning about CPR is important if there is anyone in the family suffering from a heart condition. You can take CPR and first aid certification online. CPR online classes provide great convenience as you can take the class at your own time and pace. You don’t need to sacrifice time from your busy schedule to learn about this important skill.