The Benefits of Walking for the Elderly: 7 Reasons to Stay Active

KOMPAS.com – Walking is a light sport with minimal injury so it can be done at any age.

One person who regularly does walking is the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menkomarves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Through his TikTok account, Luhut shared his daily walking routine during the health recovery period in Singapore.

“I’ve been walking every day now. Gradually, one and a half kilometers, two kilometers,” said Luhut, as reported by @luhut.pandjaitanMonday (20/11/2023).

For your information, Luhut will be 76 years old in September 2023.

So, what are the benefits of walking for the elderly?

Walking for the elderly has health benefits. Quoted from The Washington Postthe more steps an elderly person takes, the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease they experience.

Cardiovascular disease is a common health problem that occurs with age, starting from high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Here are 7 benefits of walking for the elderly:

1. Low risk of death

A study published in the Lancet in March 2023 found that walking in those aged over 60 years can reduce the risk of disease.

The same thing was also revealed in a journal published in JAMA Internal Medicine in September 2023.

The study found that walking faster reduced the risk of death.

The research analysis concluded that walking just 1.5 kilometers has benefits for body health.

Also read: Morning or evening, when is the right time to walk?

2. Healthier body

Report on the Lifestyle Intervention and Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) trial in Harvard Health Publishing shows that walking combined with strength and balance training makes the body healthier.

The trial was carried out on 1,600 men and women aged 70-20 years.

After 2.5 years of walking and light exercise, the elderly experienced a 28 percent reduction in the risk of disability in the form of difficulty walking.

They were also 18 percent less likely to have a physical disability. These findings show that walking for the elderly can make their bodies healthier and physically active.

Also read: Take a peek at the benefits and risks of walking barefoot

3. Extend life

Recent studies conducted on individuals aged 85 years and over prove that walking for one hour a week reduces the risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

“Our research shows that walking even just an hour every week is beneficial for those aged 85 years and over compared to those who are completely inactive,” said Moo-Nyun Jin from Inje University, South Korea, as reported by Medical News Today.

These findings show that individuals who walk at least 1 hour a week have a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who do not actively walk.

The research was then presented at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in 2022.

Also read: Walking vs running, which is healthier for the body?

4. Improve the welfare of life

The benefits of walking also have an impact on improving your well-being.

Reporting from Better Healthhere are the benefits of walking for the elderly:

Strengthens muscles Helps maintain a stable weight Reduces the risk of disease Strengthens bones Helps lower blood pressure Improves balance Maintains joints Improves mood Reduces depression and anxiety Increases body stamina Improves social life.

Also read: This is what will happen to the body when you walk 10,000 steps per day regularly

5. Reduces the risk of dementia

Senior Advisor at Healthy Howard Jolene Caufield said, walking for those aged 60 years and over can increase brain sharpness so as to avoid the risk of dementia.

“Walking is not only a way to literally keep you active. It is also one of the best ways to reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s,” he said, as reported by Eat This Not That.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that walking increased the size of the hippocampus among older adults.

The hippocampus is responsible for memory formation.

Seniors who regularly walk also score higher in memory tests.

Additionally, research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reports physical activity over the age of 50 is associated with better overall cognitive function.

Also read: 6 reasons why you get tired quickly when walking, what are they?

6. Prevent depression

Walking is scientifically proven to be beneficial for mental health.

Research published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that walking for one hour per day can reduce the risk of depression by more than a quarter.

“We saw a 26% percent reduction in the odds of becoming depressed for every large increase in objectively measured physical activity,” wrote Karmel Choi, Ph.D., a clinical researcher and researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. the same one.

Another study published in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and tracking nearly 5,000 adults over 65 found that walking helped promote stronger overall mental health.

Also read: 6 reasons why you get tired quickly when walking, what are they?

7. Muscles and bones are stronger

As we age, a person’s muscle mass and bones will weaken, thereby affecting the joints.

The muscle mass will shrink and become smaller. To overcome this, you can do walking activities.

Walking provides enough resistance to build and maintain muscle mass without damaging the body.

This is another benefit that walking has over other types of intense exercise for seniors.

On the other hand, research published in The American Journal of Medicine concluded that postmenopausal women who walked about 1.5 kilometers every day had higher bone density.

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2023-11-21 13:30:00
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