Don’t be surprised if your doctor gives you a prescription to walk the next time you go to the doctor. Yes, the basic exercise you’ve been doing since you were approximately a year old is now being hailed as “the closest thing we have to a wonder medication,” as former CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden put it.
You certainly already know that any state of physical activity, including walking, is helpful to your general health. Walking, in particular, has a slew of advantages. Here are 3 that could surprise you.
1. It works to counteract the effects of genes that promote weight gain. To see how much these genes contribute to body weight, Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people. They subsequently discovered that those genes’ effects were reduced by half in research participants who walked vigorously for around one hour each day.
2. It aids in the control of a sweet tooth. A 15-minute walk, according to two studies from the University of Exeter, can lower chocolate cravings and even the amount of chocolate consumed in stressful situations. Walking has also been shown to lessen sugary snack desires and consumption, according to new research.
3. It lowers the chances of getting breast cancer. Breast cancer risk is reduced by any type of physical activity, according to research. Women who walked seven or more hours per week had a 14 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or less per week, according to an American Cancer Society study.
Source : harvard health