Exercise is one of the most important elements for good health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “physical activity such as walking, cycling, pedaling, playing sports or participating in recreational activities, are valuable when it comes to processes with which people generally seek to lose weight” .
According to this entity “by increasing physical activity throughout the day, people can easily reach the recommended levels of activity”, but also exercising regularly can improve muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, bone health, reduce the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, depression, strokes, diabetes and some types of cancer such as breast and colon.
That is why they recommend going to the gym, but experts assure that the process is not reduced only to a physical scenario but to “any body movement that fully exercises the muscles and consumes energy, because physical activity refers to all movement, including during leisure time in which we move to move to certain places”.
The WHO explains the different benefits for each of the populations:
In children and adolescents improve:
- Physical state (cardiorespiratory and muscular).
- Cardiometabolic health (blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance).
- Bone health.
- Cognitive outcomes (academic performance).
- Mental health (reduced symptoms of depression).
- The reduction of adiposity (the accumulation or excess of fat in the body).
In adults and older adults they improve:
- Mortality from any cause.
- Mortality due to cardiovascular diseases.
- incidents of hypertension.
- Specific cancers of the organ in which the incident occurs (bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric and renal cancers).
- Incidents of type 2 diabetes.
- The prevention of falls.
- Mental health (reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression).
- Cognitive health.
- The dream.
- The measurement of adiposity.
In pregnant women, the risk of:
- Preeclampsia.
- Gestational hypertension.
- Gestational diabetes (for example, a 30% risk reduction).
- Excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
- Complications in childbirth.
- Postpartum depression.
- Complications of newborns.
Mayo Clinic experts, non-profit entity dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, point out that walking is one of the options to complement weight loss. Among its benefits are reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity, depression and hypertension.
The entity explains that 10,000 steps (as the WHO once indicated) is not a general rule for all people. “It all depends on your current physical state and what you want to achieve. Ideally, start with a small amount and then gradually increase.
According to the health entities of the United States, it is recommended to start with 150 minutes a week of brisk walking, which works as moderate exercise. Depending on each person, it should start with less or more time.
Tips for a healthy life
The US National Institutes of Health mention Some recommendations that help to have a healthy body:
- Have a balanced diet.
- stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water during the day.
- Move, exercise and physical activity.
- Sleep and rest for at least 6 to 8 hours.
- Moderate alcohol consumption.
- Avoid smoking and tobacco products.
- Occupy time in activities that contribute to the well-being of the body. Choose and try to create a favorite hobby individually or together with family or friends.
- Reduce salt.
- Limit the consumption of added sugars.