Walking is one of the most common things in our lives. But many friends don't know that a person's walking speed is actually influenced by multiple factors, and generally speaking, brisk walking can bring more benefits than slow walking. What exactly are there? Please continue reading below.

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For most healthy adults, the average walking speed is typically between 4 and 5 kilometers per hour. This speed varies from person to person and is influenced by various factors such as age, gender, overall physical fitness level, and daily exercise habits. For example, young people usually walk faster, but as they age, their walking speed tends to gradually slow down. This is because as age increases, muscle strength and joint flexibility may decrease, leading to slower steps.

To measure walking speed, it can also be judged by the state of speech while walking: if you feel a slight gasp but can still talk easily, this usually means that the walking speed is moderate and meets the standard of brisk walking.

What are the benefits of brisk walking?

Next, let's talk about four benefits of brisk walking for the body,

Maintain a good physique

Fast walking can be said to be a "weight loss remedy". A study has found that after 100 days of brisk walking, an average of 5005 people lost 1.28 kilograms in weight. This is because brisk walking increases the amplitude and strength of arm movements, which helps activate muscles throughout the body and increase calorie expenditure.

Preventing osteoporosis

Brisk walking can enhance lower limb muscles, improve muscle strength and endurance, and also help improve joint stability, thereby helping to prevent osteoporosis,

Stabilize blood lipid and blood pressure levels

For middle-aged and elderly people, engaging in moderate to low-intensity brisk walking can even help lower blood lipids more significantly than high-intensity aerobic exercise. Not only that, brisk walking also has a certain effect on lowering blood pressure. Data shows that after three months of brisk walking, most people's blood pressure can drop by about 2-3 millimeters of mercury.

Reduce the risk of depression

An overseas study found that accumulating 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week can reduce the risk of depression by 25%. If you schedule 5 days of 30 minute brisk walking per week and rest the remaining 2 days, this exercise plan can effectively reduce the probability of negative emotions.

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How to walk quickly and correctly?

After reading about the 4 benefits of brisk walking for the body, we will now share with you 4 practical tips for brisk walking.

Warm up scientifically before walking quickly

Many people often neglect warm-up before brisk walking, which not only leads to insufficient joint lubrication and increases the risk of joint damage, but also affects the effectiveness of brisk walking due to insufficient joint activity. Therefore, before brisk walking, it is necessary to stretch appropriately and gradually accelerate when the feet feel slightly hot. At the same time, when it is necessary to rest, sudden stops should be avoided and the speed should be gradually slowed down.

Maintain a reasonable heart rate

Heart rate is an important indicator for measuring physical load and exercise intensity, which helps to avoid excessive exercise and the risk of injury. It is recommended to monitor heart rate during exercise if conditions permit. Usually, the exercise heart rate should be maintained between 60% and 80% of the maximum heart rate (220 minus age). This moderate intensity brisk walking exercise helps improve cardiovascular function and enhance aerobic metabolism, but if discomfort symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, palpitations, or pain occur during exercise, the exercise should be stopped immediately and rest in place.

Adjust walking posture

In terms of posture, pay attention to raising your head and chest, looking straight ahead, and then slightly lifting your chin to make it parallel to the ground. When swinging both arms at the same time, the shoulder joint should be used as the axis to naturally swing back and forth, but not too violently. Additionally, pay attention to landing on the heel first, gradually transitioning to the sole and toe, and then using the toe to push the body forward,