SCIENTISTS have shared the ideal walking pace to slash the risk of dangerous heart rhythm problems, while slimming down your waist and boosting weight loss.
Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that causes the organ to beat too quickly or too slowly,
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A new study walking at a brisk pace “may be a safe and effective exercise to reduce arrhythmia”.
Academics from the University of Glasgow analysed data from 420,925 people from the UK Biobank who’d revealed their walking speed in questionnaires.
They defined a slow amble as less than three miles an hour, while an average pace was three to four miles an hour and a brisk clip was more than four miles an hour.
Some 221,664 people reported walking at an average pace, while 171,384 said they tended to walk quickly.
Over a period of 13 years, some 36,574 people developed heart rhythm problems.
Their conditions included atrial fibrillation (AF) – when the heart’s upper chambers beat irregularly and too fast – an abnormally slow heartbeat, and ventricular arrhythmias, when an abnormal heart rhythm starts in the lower chambers.
Heart rhythm problems can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and cardiac arrest if left untreated.
They happen when there’s a fault with the electrical system that makes the heart beat and can also be caused by conditions like high blood pressure, heart attacks, or some medicines or viruses.
Researchers found an average walking pace cut the risk of heart rhythm problems by 35 per, compared to slow walkers.
Meanwhile, a brisk pace lowered the risk arrhythmia by 43 per cent.
The risk of AF was slashed by almost half (46 per cent) among those who walked the fastest, the study found.
Participants who favoured speedwalking also had smaller waists and weighed less, researchers noted.
On top of this, they had better grip strength – a marker of healthy ageing – lower levels of blood fats and blood sugar, and fewer long term conditions.
Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Heart, “reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace” in exercise recommendations.
The benefits of walking
Running does indeed burn more calories than walking, but don’t discount the health benefits of a stroll.
According to James Barr, personal trainer at Fitness First, walking may be far more beneficial for most people.
Here’s a few reasons why:
- It improves overall physical health
- It boosts mental clarity and focus
- It slashes stress and boosts mood
- It’s easier on the knees
- It can around 100 to 200 calories – done briskly
Read more of Sun Health’s rundown of walking vs. running here.
Some 81,956 participants also wore activity trackers, meaning researchers were able to see how long they spent walking at their usual pace.
Of these people, 4,117 went on to develop arrhythmias during the follow-up period.
Researchers found that spending more time walking at an average or brisk pace was linked to a 27 per cent lower risk of developing heart rhythm problems.
But they did note that this was an observational study – meaning authors couldn’t say for certain that brisk walking lowered the risk of heart issues as they couldn’t show cause and effect.
Researchers also acknowledge that part of the study relied on self reporting.
The team concluded: “This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias, and to provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory factors may have a role: walking faster decreased the risk of obesity and inflammation, which, in turn, reduced the risk of arrhythmia.”
The truth about 10,000 steps a day
By Alice Fuller, Senior Health Reporter
The 10,000-steps-a-day concept is floated around as the be-all and end-all of optimal physical health.
But in reality, the “magic” number might actually be significantly less.
Dr John Schuna, of Oregon State University, who has studied the topic in detail, said: “Despite a widespread desire within the public health community to formalise ‘steps per day’ guidelines, there has been an insufficient body of evidence from which we could derive such recommendations.”
In fact, researchers at the Medical University of Lodz in Poland and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US found that fewer than 4,000 steps a day was enough to ward off premature death, and fewer than 3,000 would keep your heart and blood vessels in decent shape.
What’s more, research by Harvard Medical School found 4,400 may be more than enough to live a long, healthy life.
It turns out the ‘10,000’ idea stems from a 1960s Tokyo Olympics campaign to flog a new pedometer; hugely popular at the time, it appears to have stuck.
But according to Dr Schuna, it is actually better to ditch the idea of daily strides altogether and instead focus on movement more generally.
He says: “It’s not to say that 10,000 steps a day is not a good goal, as most people who achieve this will meet the current recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, but fitness trackers that monitor step counts don’t tell us how intense that exercise was.
“For instance, two people might both average an accumulated 5,000 steps a day — one spread evenly over a 16-hour period, the other condensed into a brisk 2.5-hour walk.
“Despite the totals being equivalent, the second individual will yield far greater health benefits because they are engaging in some moderate or higher-intensity activity.”
The benefits of opting for the latter approach? Not only will you lower your chances of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, you’ll also have a reduced risk of cardiovascular problems and premature death, Dr Schuna adds.
London GP Dr Zoe Watson says: “The 10,000 figure is rather arbitrary in all honesty, and not based on any scientific evidence.
“It has been latched on to because it’s memorable and easy to use as a benchmark — much like our five-a-day fruit and veg consumption and eight hours of sleep at night.
“While it might give us a sense of control and help us to stick to a routine, it can pile on the pressure and make us feel inadequate if we don’t meet it.
“That is just totally counterproductive. Some common sense is needed — any body movement is a good thing.
“Every human has different genetics, social circumstances, and lived lives, so predicting how many steps will reduce their risk of heart disease or stroke is virtually impossible.
“Forget the number. Just do what brings you joy and raises your heart rate a bit.”
