How powerful is simply taking a daily walk? It lowers your risk of everything from dementia to cancer. Here are the facts courtesy of Rodale Publishing:
- Walking can reduce your risk of diabetes. Insulin resistance is a predictor of diabetes, even in people with normal blood-sugar levels. A recent study in the U.K. found that people with a family history of diabetes who routinely took brisk walks improved their insulin function, which helps regulate sugar levels in the body.
- Walking can also fight breast cancer. One recent study found that women who walked regularly after being diagnosed with breast cancer were 45 percent more likely to survive after five years than women who are physically inactive. Women who exercised at least a year before they were diagnosed were 30 percent more likely to survive.
- What else can walking do? Reduce your risk of a stroke. Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 60,000 people over 18 years, and found that those who exercised and took a brisk walk every day had a 40 percent lower chance of having a stroke.
- Another surprising benefit of walking: It can relieve fibromyalgia – a painful condition that affects the muscles and joints of over six million North Americans. Researchers say taking an hour-long walk three times a week will help improve mobility, and reduce fatigue in those suffering from fibromyalgia.
- Walking also lowers your chances of developing dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease. A study of people with memory problems found that one-third of them were able to ward off dementia after taking daily walks over a four-year span.
- Finally, walking can save you money by reducing your need for medicine. Researchers studied over 40,000 people and found that those who took the longest walks every week used less medication.
