Briefly walking vigorously is one way to improve health. (Photos.com)
Another reason for my enthusiasm for walking is the fact that it can be very good exercise indeed and is associated with a range of benefits for both health and well-being.
For some, walking is an activity that they can incorporate into their daily lives without too much upheaval, which increases the chances that the activity will be sustainable in the long term. Plus, there have been a few studies now that suggest that more frequent bouts of activity of shorter duration are, generally speaking, as beneficial to health as longer bouts of activity.
This is very good news for individuals who don’t feel they have the time to carve out 30 to 40 minutes of continuous walking, and find it easier to get their activity in bursts lasting, say, 5 to 15 minutes.
With this in mind, I was interested to read a study published in this month’s edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study tested the effects of walking on individuals’ responses to a meal consisting of bread, cheese, mayonnaise, potato chips, and a milk shake. The individuals in this study were each tested with three different regimes:
1. A day of rest followed by the next-day assessment after two test meals. This regime acted as the “control.”
2. One thirty-minute bout of brisk walking on one day, followed by the next-day assessment after the test meal
3. Ten, three-minute bouts of brisk walking on one day, followed by the next-day assessment after the test meal
One assessment that the individuals underwent was measurement of blood fat levels known as triglycerides (TG) after the meals. Higher TG levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walking was associated with a significantly reduced TG level after eating the following day compared to the control regime. Also, both walking regimes were found to be equally beneficial with respect to this.
Walking was also found to reduce systolic blood pressure (the higher of the two blood pressure values). Again, the two walking regimes were equally effective here, giving a reduction of about seven to eight points (mm Hg).
In the discussion of this paper, the authors write: “Our findings … provide evidence that health benefits arise after the accumulation of moderate intensity physical activity in short bouts, at least for postprandial triacylglycerol concentration and resting blood pressure.
“Such changes suggest (but do not prove) that CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk may be reduced in persons whose physical activity patterns are characterized by the accumulation of short bouts of physical activity throughout the course of each day. Such an activity pattern may be attractive for persons who want to improve their health through the accumulation of routine physical chores or pastimes because these activities are intermittent in nature and often involve bouts lasting less than 10 minutes.”
Basically, these results are further good news for those individuals who prefer or find it easier to get their exercise in short bursts throughout the day rather than in one big chunk.
References:
Miyashita M, et al. Accumulating short bouts of brisk walking reduces postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations and resting blood pressure in healthy young men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008; 88(5): 1225-31
Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine.
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