It only takes a tiny change in walking pace to make a big difference.
Most of us have a friend or family member who walks extremely fast. While we’re constantly telling them to slow down, keeping up with them can be challenging.
However, they may have a point.
A study published in the journal heart has found that increasing an individual’s walking pace can result in a lower risk of heart abnormalities such as atrial fibrillation, bradyarrhythmias, and ventricular arrhythmias, according to the study.
During atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly.
Fatigue, palpitations, breathing problems, and dizziness can be symptoms of this condition.
Bradyarrhythmias refers to abnormally slow heartbeats—below 60 beats per minute—and ventricular arrhythmias refer to fast heartbeats originating in the heart’s lower chambers.
This study found that walking briskly was associated with a lower risk of all heart rhythm abnormalities compared to those who walked at a slower pace.
The study’s senior author, Dr Jill Pell, of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, believes that it has identified a practical way to improve heart health.
According to CNN, “one of the great things about walking is the fact that it is accessible to everyone.”
“You don’t have to spend money on gym memberships or equipment. It is just a matter of walking out the front door and going on your way.
It would be preferable to prevent heart rhythm abnormalities from occurring in the first place rather than treat them with medicines and procedures.”
Researchers analyzed health data from participants in the UK Biobank study in the early 2000s to conduct the study.
Participants were asked about their walking pace and how fast they walked. They could choose slow, average, or brisk, depending on their speed.
About 6.5 percent reported a slow pace, 53 percent reported an average pace, and 41 percent reported a brisk pace.
As a result of walking at an average pace or at a brisk pace, there is a 35 percent reduction in the risk of heart abnormalities and a 43 percent reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, respectively,” Pell said.
Walking for five to fifteen minutes daily at a moderate speed of three to four miles per hour can lower your risk.
It was found that women participated in the study more than men, and that the results of the study were higher among participants who were younger than 60 years old.
“It is interesting to note that although women are less likely than men to suffer atrial fibrillation, when they do, they are at an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes,”According to Pell, people with pre-existing conditions may have a slower walking speed if they have a physical disability.
By ensuring that no one had heart disease or other vascular disease at the start of the study, this risk was avoided,” he said.
However, in order to verify our conclusions, we need an intervention study to be conducted on people who walk slowly, within which some of the participants are asked to increase their walking speed while others are not asked to do so.”