Forget the gym - just 30 minutes of WALKING a day will keep you slim

Walking can be better for you than intense actvitiy

A BRISK 30-minute daily walk is a more effective way of losing weight than running or going to the gym, scientists have found.

 

Research from the London School of Economics said that people who regularly stride out are more likely to have slimmer waistlines and a lower body mass index than people who do high-intensity workouts.

Walking is most effective in promoting weight loss in women and those aged 50 or more according to the study which analysed data from 1999 to 2012.

 



Intense exercise isn't the best way to lose weight



Grace Lordan, doctor of health economics at the LSE, said: “We looked at data from around 50,000 patients in England and found people who take brisk walks as their main form of exercise had lower BMIs.

“We think it is because walking is more convenient than the gym and is easier for people to maintain.

It makes sense in anthropological terms. The issue is about repeat exposure to energy expenditure

im McKenna, professor of activity and health at Leeds Beckett University



Walking can be particularly advantageous for senior slimmers

"This is particularly true for older people because they do not have to be at peak physical fitness to walk.”

Writing in the journal of Risk Analysis, she added: “Given the fact that a large proportion of people in the UK are inactive, recommending that people walk briskly more often is a cheap and easy option.”

 

Jim McKenna, professor of activity and health at Leeds Beckett University, said: “It makes sense in anthropological terms. The issue is about repeat exposure to energy expenditure.

“Humans are huntergatherers who are programmed to do around 14 hours of low-level activity a day and, for our survival, we are programmed to be able do that every day.
 

Walking might suit our hunter-gatherer routes better than other exercise

“We are designed to get more benefit from regular, low-level exercise.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director for Age UK, said: “There is a really strong body of research showing the importance of exercise in later life. Even small amounts of physical activity can make a difference to our health, lowering the risk of serious conditions such as strokes, heart disease and certain cancers.

“Exercise not only adds years on to our lives, it can also help us to maintain our independence for longer and help keep the blues at bay.”