“Hey, how many steps did you walk yesterday? I walked around the lake several times yesterday, more than 20,000 steps, and I ranked first in the circle of friends!” Aunt Liu called out as the sun set. The good sisters went for a walk in the park together.

“You walk too much, aren’t you afraid of knee strain? I can’t take it anymore after walking 10,000 steps. I’ve already gone home.”

span>

Aunt Liu is 62 years old this year. She likes hiking very much on weekdays and often goes around the nearby park several times.

And since there is a WeChat step count ranking list, it is a base of 20,000 steps per day. In addition to striving for the number of steps, she also likes striving for speed. She often walks and walks without a shadow, and Aunt Liu can’t catch up. she.

Unexpectedly, in March this year, Aunt Liu felt that her knee was always sore. Later, she went to the hospital for an examination.found her joints The cavity fluid forms an effusion, and the effusion is formed because of too much walking!

I don’t know since when, “walking 10,000 steps a day” seems to have become a “standard” for health exercise. For young people, this point The number of steps may be nothing, but is it really suitable for middle-aged and elderly people?

1. Walking speed can predict the length of life. Is it true or false?

In addition to the number of steps, you also need to look at the speed. Is it better to walk faster or slower?

A study from Duke University, published in the 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, tracked 1,037 people throughout their lives. The results found: Slow walkers had worse lungs, teeth, and immune system conditions, weaker balance, hand and foot coordination, and “Facial age” is also greater, i.e. more aged.

In this regard, Song Yuetao, director of the Geriatric Health and Medical Care Integration Research Office of Beijing Geriatrics Hospital, said, walking speed can predict life expectancy to a certain extent. The truth.

People who walk faster generally have stronger cardiopulmonary function. If you are short of breath after walking a few steps, you will definitely not be able to walk fast, and your life expectancy will not be optimistic.

About walking speed, there is a saying that “a person who walks faster is better than a person who walks slower. People live 15 years longer”, true or false?

This statement comes from a study published in the Mayo Clinic Journal in 2019. The researchers followed 475,000 middle-aged and elderly people in the UK for 7 years and found that:Those who walk fast live 15-20 years longer than those who walk slowly strong>.

We all know that when a person is weak, his steps will be slower. However, as an observational study, it does not mean that walking fast is the reason for longevity, and it does not mean that increasing walking speed can prolong life. span>.

The researchers also pointed out in the paper that it is currently impossible to make a clear causal relationship between the speed of steps and lifespan.

Your health is more important than your walking speed. If a person is too thin and malnourished, walking too fast will not prolong his life; if a person is too fat and his waist is too large, if he wants to live a long life, he needs to stretch his legs and control mouth.

Two, keep walking and exercise, there are many benefits

Life lies in Exercise, but for the elderly whose physical function begins to decline, it may not be suitable for some high-intensity sports, and walking exercise is a good choice.

1. Walking is a “diet pill”

Walking is the easiest exercise to lose weight Method, brisk walking every day can mobilize muscle and fat, help to consume excess body heat, brisk walking for 40-60 minutes each time, can play a good fat burning effect.

2. Walking is a “hypertensive drug”

Journal of Clinical Hypertension A study published by the Third Hospital of Peking University found that walking every day for 3 months can effectively reduce blood pressure by about 2-3mmHg. Walking can consume a certain amount of oxygen, thereby activating the oxygen delivery mechanism of the whole body and helping to lower blood pressure.

3. Walking is a “hypoglycemic drug”< /strong>

Walking is also good for diabetes. Exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, improve bone function, and prevent diabetes complications.

4. Walking is a “laxative”

cause constipation and intestinal peristalsis However, walking and exercising can improve the digestive ability of the intestine, promote defecation, effectively relieve constipation, and have a certain effect on the prevention of rectal cancer.

Third, walking 10,000 steps a day proved to be “ineffective”! How much should the elderly walk?

The so-called “10,000 steps a day” is just marketing, and this statement is only to make the product sell better. Based on current research data, “10,000 steps a day” is not suitable for all ages and performance levels.

Published in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association, a joint study from Northwestern University and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and other universities. Research has found that walking 7,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of death by 70%!

Meanwhile, researchers found that more than 10,000 steps was not associated with a further reduction in the risk of death, and more walking did not. Further reduce risk.

Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people, there is no need to compete with the number of steps. It is not that the more you walk, the better. Only the ones that suit you can get the most benefit. How much should middle-aged and elderly people walk?

Recently, a research team led by Dr. Amanda E Paluch from the University of Massachusetts Amherst published an important research result in The Lancet: As the number of steps increased, the all-cause mortality rate of the population gradually decreased, and further pointed out:

• Above the age of 60, the optimal number of steps per day is 6000-8000 steps;< /span>
• Under the age of 60, the most suitable number of steps per day is 8000-10000 steps.

There was no clear link between walking speed and risk of death overall, more steps taken, the researchers said There is no additional benefit, and moderate walking is best.

Many middle-aged and elderly people worry that walking too much will hurt their knees. How to protect the knee joint?

1. Take large steps when walking

When walking, take large steps, double The arms are thrown away, and this position is more conducive to reducing the cushioning of the ground facing the knees.

2. Walk strongly

When the heel is ready to leave the ground, you can push hard on the ground , relieve the pressure on the forefoot and knee.

3. Wear a pair of “good shoes” for walking

Try to choose shoes with Cushioned shoes can cushion the reaction force of the ground when walking, thereby protecting the knee joint.

Exercise is good for health, but excessive exercise may not have obvious advantages. Sometimes because of the wrong posture, it will lead to “the extreme will be reversed”, and the body will fall into pain.

Therefore, exercise must be done in moderation, especially for the elderly. Don’t force yourself for a “goal”, but instead “break down” the body.

Reproduction is prohibited without the author’s permission