How many steps do you need to walk every day to offset the damage caused by sitting for a long time?
2024-08-05
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Most people know that "sitting for a long time is harmful to the body".A study in my country showed that sitting for more than 6 hours a day is associated with a higher risk of 12 diseases, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes, asthma, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, thyroid disease, depression, etc.。
In fact, as long as you walk correctly and take a certain number of steps, you can help your body "offset" the health risks brought about by sitting for a long time.
Scientific walking reduces the risk of long-term sitting
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia published a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showing thatNumber of steps per dayWhen the number of steps exceeds 2,200, the risk of death and cardiovascular disease can be reduced;When the number of steps reaches 9,000 to 10,500 per day, the risk of death is lowest, regardless of how long you sit.
The researchers analyzed 72,174 participants in the UK Biobank database, with an average age of 61 years and 58% women, recording data on the participants' daily steps and sedentary time. During an average follow-up of 7 years, a total of 1,633 deaths and 6,190 cardiovascular events were recorded.The results showed that participants who sat for more than 10.5 hours had a lower risk of death when they walked more than 2,200 steps a day, and a 39% lower risk of death when they walked 9,000 steps a day.The risk of cardiovascular disease is lowest when walking 9,700 steps a day, with a 21% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.In addition, regardless of the length of time you sit, even if you walk 4,000 to 4,500 steps a day, you can still get about 50% of the benefits of the optimal number of steps.
Walking is the best exercise
As early as 1992, the World Health Organization proposed the health motto for the 21st century, which said: The best doctor is yourself, and the best exercise is "walking".Walking is one of the simplest and most gentle aerobic exercises. Put on your sneakers and exercise anytime, anywhere.When walking, a total of 13 large muscle groups, including the triceps, quadriceps, waist and abdominal muscles, are in motion. Especially brisk walking, which can achieve moderate intensity exercise, can bring many benefits to the body and improve immunity.Enhance cardiopulmonary function
Walking at a faster pace can enhance the myocardial contractility, exercise lung function, and help prevent chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, fatty liver, and diabetes.Helps relieve constipation
When walking, adopt a "straight step" method, cross your legs and walk to drive the hips to twist, which helps to increase waist strength, stimulate gastrointestinal motility, and improve constipation. Walking 500 meters a day is enough.When walking, the dual stimulation of gravity and muscle contraction can help the human body maintain bone mass, increase muscle strength and improve joint stability.British research has found that walking about 1.6 kilometers a day at an intensity of 100 to 120 steps per minute has obvious benefits for the treatment and recovery of diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.
6 tips for walking correctly
The wrong way of walking may cause injury to the body. Lu Yifan, professor at the School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of Beijing Sport University, reminds us that we need to pay attention to the following aspects while walking.
postureThe momentum must be upright
Keep your back straight, relax your neck and shoulders, gently tighten your abdomen, slightly retract your lower jaw, look straight ahead, and keep your ears, shoulders, and hips in the same vertical line.
With the shoulder joints as the axis, the arms should swing naturally back and forth. It is best to keep the arms from going beyond the shoulders in front and beyond the waist in the back.
Gently lift your leg and step out, then "roll" to the ground in the order of "heel → sole → toe", and lift the other foot after stepping firmly.
Keep your toes pointed straight ahead, avoid turning your feet inward or outward, and don't take heavy or large steps.Wear a pair of supportiveThe soles of the shoes are moderately soft and hard, which can cushion the pressure on the soles of the feet when walking and protect the ankle joints from injury.It is best to wear pure cotton socks and choose loose and comfortable sportswear.
It is best to bring a bottle of water. Drinking small amounts of water frequently during exercise can prevent dehydration.For people with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, morning is a time when diseases are most likely to occur, and the air humidity is high in the morning, which is not conducive to the diffusion of pollutants.
CanWalking exercise after dinner should be done half an hour after the meal, and the exercise should end two hours before going to bed. For example, if you go to bed at 11pm, you should end the exercise at 9pm.
Avoid walking on the roadside
There is heavy traffic and poor air quality on the roadside, which can easily cause damage to the respiratory system.Asphalt roads are too hard and can easily cause greater impact on the knees and ankles.
Do not perform on a hard or too smooth surface. It is recommended to choose a plastic surface, which has a certain cushioning effect on the joints.The air quality in parks and residential areas is better, which can prevent damage to the respiratory system.
Reaching moderate intensity
The General Administration of Sport of China describes the feeling of moderate-intensity exercise as "breathing becomes faster, and one can only speak short sentences and cannot complete long sentences."
You can try talking while walking to test it. If you feel a little breathless but can have a comfortable conversation, it means your walking speed is moderate and has reached the intensity of brisk walking.
If you find simply walking boring, you can try changing the way you walk.- Walking and running, this interval training method is more intense.Can accelerate fat burning,Can reduce soreness and fatigue after exercise.
- Walking backwards can exercise the waist and back muscles that are rarely used. You need to pay attention to safety to avoid falling.
- Walking on tiptoes can exercise the leg muscles, especially make the calf muscles tighter. It is not recommended for elderly people with severe osteoporosis to walk on tiptoes.
Whether walking backwards or walking on tiptoes, they are both abnormal ways of walking and can easily cause damage to the hip joints and knees. Each time should not be too long, 5 to 10 minutes is best.Proper stretching before and after walking exercises can help prevent sports injuries, restore the body's functions to a resting level, and accelerate the elimination of fatigue.
Avoid "running wildly" for too long or with too much force, as this may wear out the cartilage and meniscus, causing damage to the muscles, ligaments and periosteum of the knees, ankles and heels. ▲
Editor of this issue:Wang Xiaoqing
