Walking is the best exercise for humans. 2 kilometers a day can halve cancer risk.
The advancement of technology has made life more convenient, but people have also become lazier. Driving to work every day, taking elevators instead of stairs, and preferring to sit rather than stand... However, the latest research from the UK shows that walking just 1 mile (about 1.6 kilometers) a day can reduce the risk of cancer death by 50%.
Walking has outstanding anti-cancer effects
“Walking can be seen as a wonder drug for treating cancer!” The researchers, the British charity organization Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support, pointed out together that if you can walk 1 mile a day and complete it within 20 minutes, it has significant benefits for the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer, and can reduce the risk of death by up to 50%.
Benedict Southworth, the head of the study, said that the UK government recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as brisk walking per week, but only a few meet this target. Therefore, he calls on doctors to prescribe walking to help more cancer patients and sub-healthy individuals improve their physical fitness.
The reporter reviewed a large amount of data and found that multiple recent international studies clearly indicate that walking has outstanding effects in preventing and fighting cancer.
Preventing breast cancer. A French study involving 4 million women showed that women of any age who persist in brisk walking for 1 hour a day can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 12%. Another study found that women who walk 7 hours a week have a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walk only 3 hours a week.
Reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. A long-term study by the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States targeting 70,000 people found that walking 1 hour a day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by half. Experts analyzed that this may be related to walking's ability to boost immunity.
Preventing pancreatic cancer. A study published in the American magazine Reader's Digest pointed out that taking a 30-minute walk after meals each day can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by half. Researchers pointed out that pancreatic cancer is often related to excess calories, and walking can burn a lot of calories.
Resisting prostate cancer. The University of California, USA, conducted long-term follow-up studies on 1,455 prostate cancer patients and found that brisk walking can significantly delay the progression of prostate cancer. Walking briskly for just 3 hours a week can reduce the severity of cancer progression by 57% compared to those who do not exercise. The reason is that walking can improve endocrine function and regulate hormone levels.
A study by Loughborough University in the UK found that brisk walking daily can boost immunity and reduce the chance of catching a cold by 30%; the American journal Arthritis & Rheumatism reported that compared to running, walking causes less damage to joints and can delay joint function decline; authoritative studies at home and abroad have found that brisk walking daily can effectively prevent diabetes, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and cognitive impairments.
Why does simple walking have so many benefits? Lu Yifan, a professor in the Department of Sports Medicine at Beijing Sport University, said that long-term, rhythmic, and relatively fast walking can improve health due to six reasons: burning calories, helping control weight; promoting venous return in the lower limbs, protecting the heart; exercising body coordination and balance, delaying aging; moving muscles and bones, clearing blocked meridians; enhancing cardiorespiratory function, improving blood circulation; and relaxing the tired brain, restoring energy.
Cao Jianmin, director of the Department of Sports Biochemistry at Beijing Sport University, added that walking with the correct posture can engage 13 major muscle groups in the body simultaneously, thereby strengthening the body and boosting immunity. Most importantly, walking is the safest form of exercise, suitable for all ages.
Walking lies in persistence
Although walking has many benefits, very few people actually walk according to the standard every day. Among residents over 18 years old in China, 83.8% do not participate in amateur exercise. Street interviews by reporters found that common “excuses” for people not liking to walk for exercise include lack of time, energy, interest, or perseverance.
Lu Yifan analyzed that the pace of modern life is fast, everyone is busy with work, and it is indeed difficult to set aside half an hour a day for walking exercise; secondly, finding a suitable environment for brisk walking is difficult—traffic is congested on roads, air quality is poor, sidewalks and motorways are often not separated, and residential areas rarely have walking tracks; thirdly, many people feel that walking is not challenging and get bored after a while.
Lu Yifan suggests that people should first truly recognize the necessity of walking. All fitness begins with the mind and then the body. Making up your mind to persist makes walking more challenging and satisfying. You can carry a pedometer or download a mobile app with a step-counting function to keep track of your progress and results, which is more conducive to persistence. You can walk with a partner, make an appointment with friends, or walk with family, which helps mutual motivation and persistence. When walking becomes a fixed part of your routine, like eating, you’ll feel uncomfortable if you miss a day.
The right way to walk doubles the benefits
Walking has so many benefits, but to really make it effective, there are five key points to consider:
Posture: Don’t be too relaxed. Cao Jianmin pointed out that the correct walking posture should be with the head up, chest out, eyes looking straight ahead, and the torso naturally straight; the abdomen tucked in, with the body’s center of gravity slightly forward; the upper and lower limbs coordinated, with moderate steps and a rhythmic footfall.
Speed: Two steps per second. Gou Bo, an associate professor in the Department of Sports Medicine at Xi’an Physical Education University, believes that brisk walking should last 40 to 60 minutes each time. Many countries recommend walking 6,000 or 10,000 steps a day, which is essentially a quantification of exercise time, about two steps per second. Exercise requires gradual progression; beginners can start with 30 minutes and gradually increase the duration. During brisk walking, the heart rate should be maintained at 120 to 140 beats per minute, with a light sweat being ideal. Older adults in better health may not sweat much from brisk walking; in such cases, combining brisk walking with slow jogging can achieve fitness goals.
Time: After 4 PM. Many elderly people are used to morning exercise, but Lu Yifan pointed out that the humidity is high in the morning, which is not conducive to the dispersion of pollutants, resulting in poor air quality. For the elderly with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, morning exercise may trigger attacks. Experts point out that the best times for exercise are after 4 PM and in the evening when the joints are more flexible, physical strength, limb reaction, and adaptability are at their best, and heart rate and blood pressure are relatively stable. It’s worth noting that if you choose to walk after dinner, it should be done within the range of half an hour after the meal to two hours before bedtime.
Location: Flat roads and good air quality. Wu Wenqiang, an associate professor in the School of Education at Beijing Sport University, particularly emphasized that walking by the side of the road is not suitable for brisk walking due to heavy traffic, poor air quality, and the overly hard asphalt surface, which creates a large impact on the knees and ankles. In comparison, soft dirt roads and rubberized tracks are more suitable, and you should avoid construction sites and complex roads. Ma Shengsheng, director of the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, suggested that it is best to walk in parks or other places with good air quality to protect the respiratory system.
Preparation: Wear good shoes and warm up sufficiently. Lu Yifan said that preparation is also important. A pair of well-fitting, soft-soled running shoes can cushion the pressure on the soles of your feet during walking and protect your ankle joints from injury; loose, comfortable sportswear and breathable socks will also help your body relax; carrying a bottle of water allows you to replenish fluids in small amounts frequently; diabetics should carry some sugar to prevent hypoglycemia. To avoid sports injuries, you should do some warm-up stretches for your limbs before brisk walking to prevent strains caused by overly large strides or too fast a pace.
The world is calling on everyone to “get walking”
“Walking is the best exercise for humans!” Dr. White, the founder of the American Heart Association, concluded after a lifetime of research. As early as 22 years ago, the World Health Organization designated walking as “one of the world’s best exercises” and called on people of all ages to start walking at any time. Today, walking has become a global trend. The latest survey in the United States shows that Australians are the most avid walkers worldwide, averaging 9,695 steps per person per day; followed by the Swiss, with 9,650 steps per person per day; in Asia, the Japanese are the most active walkers, averaging 7,168 steps per person per day.
To encourage more people to walk, governments around the world have taken many measures worth learning from. In San Francisco, USA, the government considers encouraging people to walk as the city’s top urban development priority, increasing green spaces and upgrading existing sidewalks to promote walking as much as possible. In the UK, many people have joined the "walking commute" trend, most notably former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who led by example in motivating citizens to walk to work. The UK has even enshrined the "right to walk for everyone" in law, mandating that all roads must include dedicated pedestrian pathways. In Germany, governments at all levels have specifically built numerous walking paths, some even wider than vehicle lanes, with hefty fines for any unauthorized use. To support the walking initiative, many German companies offer employees who walk to work annual subsidies of several hundred euros. In the Netherlands, the world’s largest "Walking Festival" is held annually, a tradition that has continued for over 100 years and attracts tens of thousands of participants from around the globe each year.