Walking is a great form of exercise at just about any age! A study from Japan — recently published by the Mayo Clinic — reports that walking is especially good for elderly adults.
The elderly population is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. High intensity walking (and other forms of exercise) can decrease the chances of disability and lower the risk of some age associated diseases.
Moderately paced walking — a pace around six kilometers or 3.7 miles per hour — can help protect against disability. Walking and other exercise can strengthen muscles, improve balance and flexibility, and encourage circulation. But moderate exercise may not be intense enough to have a beneficial effect.
The Japanese study had nearly one hundred fifty older men and women in three different groups. One group did no walking at all; the second group did moderate walking. The third group performed high intensity walking — that included intervals of high intensity walking between periods of lower intensity walking. After five months, the patients in the high intensity group showed marked improvement in blood pressure, muscle strength, and exercise capacity.
Keeping blood pressure within normal ranges is a good way to prevent complications like heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Muscle strength (and the flexibility, coordination, and balance that goes with regular exercise) can help prevent falls and fractures. In other words — an active lifestyle is good for your whole body, inside and out! The longer in life a person can be active, the better. And that activity doesn’t have to be walking. Swimming, dancing, cycling, and other forms of exercise are all good for you throughout life.
In commentary on the study, the Mayo Clinic pointed out that humans are designed to walk all day long. The more you walk (or take part in other exercise), the better.