Want to improve your health and well-being?start walking

tomtidgewellNovember 9, 2022

Opinion: It’s estimated that about 8% of heart disease, depression and dementia could be prevented if people were more active.There is much that can be done at all levels of government to encourage more walking, such as improving transportation and sidewalks.

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November 8, 2022 • 33 minutes ago • Read in 3 minutes • join the conversation

It’s estimated that about 8% of heart disease, depression and dementia could be prevented if people were more active. Photo credit: monkeybusinessimages /Getty Images/iStockphoto

I walked 120 kilometers in 5 days along the South Downs Way along the south east coast of England. It was a beautiful walk through idyllic English countryside, culminating in dramatic chalk cliffs near the coastal town of Eastbourne. There were hills, strong winds and rainy days, and we were ready for an evening pub dinner.

Walking is the most popular aerobic exercise, and those related to improving mental and physical health. However, despite its benefits, levels of physical activity tend to decline with age. Women of all ages are less active than men.

Globally, approximately 32% of women are inactive compared to approximately 23% of men.

Four of us walked together. As usual, we tracked our progress via map and phone. On the longest, the roughest day, we completed over 34,000 steps and 2,000 feet of climbing.

As a geriatrician and researcher, I was so concerned with promoting women’s equity and age-related health and well-being that I kept a record of who I encountered each day.

It was a weekday and there was little traffic, mostly elderly women. In contrast, most mountain bikers were men. Perhaps this reflects gender norms, even in the hills, where men participate in more active physical activity than women.

All physical activity is very important, especially as we age.

of WHO Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022A recently published study identifies physical inactivity as a global health problem that requires urgent attention. They note a higher level of inactivity in high-income countries, possibly due to greater car use.

Physical activity such as walking is very important. WHO has set a goal of reducing physical inactivity globally by 10% by 2025..

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic disease and affects quality of life. It is estimated that the degree 8% of heart disease, depression and dementia could be prevented if people were more active.

Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to effectively increase your level of physical activity, yet it is too often neglected. This is important for older people. This is because with age an individual accumulates not only her one, but often multiple chronic diseases.

In particular, older women experiencing chronic conditions ranging from arthritis to dementia should be encouraged to walk more than men, a condition that can be mitigated or delayed simply by the health benefits of walking.

Walking can be done outdoors, making it a particularly attractive way to connect with friends while minimizing concerns about COVID-19.

Governments should develop policies and strategies to encourage and normalize active transportation. Walking is not only an important form of exercise, but it also works as an alternative transportation for short trips or as an addition to public transportation to avoid the need to drive. From improving and strengthening public transportation and sidewalks to more trailheads and public health campaigns, there are many things governments can do to help older people walk.

Driving leads to inactivity and negatively affects mental health. Walking gives you the opportunity to really see the world around you. It’s something you’ll miss if you drive past.

On the first day, walking across a small bridge in the English countryside, I saw the heads of animals swimming in the river below. Thinking about the story of Beatrix Potter and the animals living in the English countryside, I thought it might be an otter, but I thought this was pretty big.

That night we told our bed and breakfast host about the animals we had seen.Gavin, seal. ” Gavin was getting national attention through the BBC. It was found swimming in a river far upstream in the countryside where seals were unlikely to be found.

Meeting Gavin has given us a lot to talk about.Not only can walking give you good exercise, but even strange things like lost seals you would never see otherwise. You can see things

Dr. Paula Rochon is the Founding Director of the Women’s Age Lab at Women’s College Hospital and the RTOERO Chair of Geriatrics at the University of Toronto.