It has been made known recently the Public Health of England is urging the middle-age and most notably those ages 40-60 to do regular brisk walks. This is to help them stay healthy since research shows that the amount of physical activity people did, taper down from age 40. According to what’s being said, just 10 minutes a day could reduce risk of early death by 15%.
In a surprising, if not discomforting revelation, an estimated 40% of those in the 40-60yrs old bracket briskly walk less than 10 minutes a month. Based on statistics on this group, 1 in 6 deaths are linked to inactivity. Mentionable, there has been a rise in inactivity of 20% as what it was in the 1960s. They walk 15 miles less in a year on average than they did 2 decades ago.
PHE deputy medical director Dr Jenny Harries had this to say: "I know first-hand that juggling priorities of everyday life often means exercise takes a back seat. But walking to the shops instead of driving, or going for a brisk 10-minute walk on your lunch break each day, can add many healthy years to your life."
Maureen Ejimofor, 44, weighed 18 stone when she started taking regular walks three years ago and within 7 months she lost almost 5 stone. Liam Quigley at 60 has this to say: "My parents used to take us out walking all the time. But unfortunately as I got older, I got a taste for the finer things in life, so I used to drink quite a bit, eat some of the wrong stuff. I actually put a lot of weight on. I like walking, and I decided to do something about it."
We should do 150 minutes of activity a week. However, almost half of the aged 40 to 60 don’t while one in five does less than 30 minutes. Still, though daily 10-minute brisk walks do not meet this recommendation, it still starts to make a difference to high blood pressure, diabetes, weight issues, depression and anxiety along with musculoskeletal problems.
These are just sample stories and quotes. There are virtually thousands – if not millions of such tales and findings. Walking is the most basic of exercise hence it’s being recommended since practically everybody can manage that. Conversely, England has unpredictable weather amid 4 seasons where it is not feasible to even do this most basic of exercise outdoors. Though the tropics do not have the 4-seasons there are rainy days and when it rains it pours. Therefore being outdoors is not feasible. It is evident that for these reasons treadmills are the bestsellers of fitness equipment or as some would call them “walking machines”.
Treadmills come in all kinds of sizes and powertrains where even the smallest models are equipped with sophisticated features. For those who don’t face space constraints at home options would include larger models right up to those fitted with workstations meaning you have a “table” which comes in the form of an attached countertop. The larger treadmills usually have more powerful motors while larger sizes mean larger running areas. So too would the price tags be.
At the other end of the scale, petite treadmills are very much welcomed by folks residing in condominiums or apartments. These days, most treadmills are foldable so for those facing space constraints this comes as a very smart feature. As for motors and besides horsepower one has two typical options which are AC or DC motors. AC is the superior choice where one can do with lower horsepower as well. Training computers and sensors are all common features these days. While the public are getting better informed, producers are also meeting the higher standards being demanded.
As parting words, the condition of your health cum fitness is largely dependent upon you to make even subtle commitments like walking. Aging would also be more graceful than otherwise. Many of us are burning the candle on both ends so a little bit of time dedicated to fitness would help provide us at least with a longer candle.
Stay fit, stay happy!
