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walking

Heart HealthWalking for Heart Health Benefits

Do you understand the importance of being regularly active to promote heart health? However, you know this and still remain sedentary? Is this because the thought of exercise makes you think of a gym membership, spandex, and everyone watching you try to use equipment you have no idea how to work? Well, here’s an alternative.

Simply taking a daily walk has many benefits without the risk of embarrassment.

Benefits of Walking Daily

  • Decreases risk of heart disease or stroke.
  • Lowers LDL cholesterol
  • Increases HDL cholesterol
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Increases daily calories burned (weight management)
  • Decreases risk of colon cancer and diabetes (may protect against breast cancer)
  • Decreases joint swelling and pain from arthritis
  • Improves mood
  • Improves stress management
  • More energy
  • Improves self-esteem
  • Improves sleep quality

How Long of a Walk

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Heart HealthHeart Fitness Health – Can you walk 3-4 miles per hour without fatigue?

You already know your fitness level impacts your risk for heart disease. A Japanese study has set a minimum level of cardiovascular fitness to reduce heart disease risk. The minimum level of cardiovascular fitness needed to reduce the risk of heart disease is the ability of a 50 year old to walk 3 to 4 miles per hour without feeling fatigue. If you have heart disease, cardiovascular fitness is often measured in supervised conditions with an exercise stress test. The study evaluated over 100,000 individuals and found the least fit participants had a 70% greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

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