Johannesburg - Science has shown that for every minute you walk, you increase your lifespan by one-and-a-half to two minutes.
This is according to Stellenbosch University's sport and exercise medicine specialist Professor Wayne Derman ahead of World Move for Health Day today (Tuesday, May 10).
Derman said the simple act of walking not only enables you to lose weight, but it also protects you from chronic diseases and helps you live longer.
“There's a misconception that walking is not a form of exercise. But if you walk regularly at a brisk pace, it has phenomenal advantages for your health,” said Derman, who heads the newly established Institute of Sports and Exercise Medicine at the university's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
According to the university, research shows that you can drop more than 3kg a year by walking for 20 minutes a day.
“If you are going to do 20 minutes of walking every day, you are going to add years to your life. And by walking 30 minutes a day you are also going to halve your risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, depression and Alzheimer's disease,” Derman said.
“If you add another 15 minutes to that and walk for 45 minutes every day, you will also halve your chance of catching the common cold, because exercise has a beneficial effect on the immune system.
“The key message is that you should walk as much as you can - even if you can't do 45 minutes a day, you are going to get benefit from every minute you walk.”
Derman said you don't have to power-walk to get these benefits, but you have to move at a brisk pace that will make you sweat if you walk for longer than 10 minutes.
“You have to exercise moderately. You should still be able to talk to someone walking next to you, but you should be too out of breath to sing,” Derman explained.
Walking is not only good for your health, but it's free and easily accessible to most people. And if you were thinking of using the winter weather as an excuse not to go walking, think again.
“If it is too cold or raining, go to the mall and walk it out there,” Derman advised.
The Star