As early as 1992, the World Health Organization clearly pointed out that walking is one of the best sports in the world. Walking is a simple and cost-free exercise with good fitness effect. It's never too late for men, women and children to start this sport. Dr. White, the founder of the American Heart Association, also pointed out that from an evolutionary point of view, walking is the best exercise for human beings. Sports experts suggest that if walking alone makes you feel bored, you might as well walk in a different way to get unexpected health effects.
Benefits of walking
Walking is not only the main means of foot exercise, but also involves the movement of the whole body tissues and organs, which is conducive to the strengthening of body metabolic movement. Regular walking has six advantages:
1, which is beneficial to the proliferation of bones and the stiffness of muscles, and makes human joints flexible.
2. It can develop respiratory muscles, increase vital capacity and strengthen oxygen exchange ability.
3, can make the myocardium developed, increase the reserve and output of blood, and strengthen the heart.
4, can make people appetite, improve appetite, improve digestion and absorption rate, and make the source of nutrition more abundant.
5, regulate brain function, make people happy, quick thinking, coordinated action, enhance memory and improve sleep.
6, can improve human immune function, improve the body's own quality, and enhance disease resistance.
Walking can reverse coronary atherosclerotic plaque and effectively reduce the incidence of diabetes. The results show that people who walk for more than 30 minutes three times a day are 25% less likely to develop diabetes than those who don't exercise regularly. American scientists have conducted a special study on a group of elderly people over 60 who suffer from knee osteoarthritis. The results showed that the symptoms of walking difficulty and imbalance of the elderly who insisted on walking every day were obviously improved after three months, and the problem of falling caused by imbalance was basically solved.
Japanese scholars put forward the goal of "walking 10 thousand steps a day", which is about 3 ~ 3.5 kilometers according to the average distance of 70 ~ 80 cm per step. Many Japanese choose to give up the enjoyment of taking 5 ~ 7 stops at work and walk a long distance consciously instead.
During the peak hours in the city, the bus speed (including stopping time) is 20km/h, the tram speed is 12km/h, and the subway speed is 25km/h. It generally takes10min to take a 2km bus and wait for the bus. If you take this road at a speed of 6 km/h, it only takes 20 minutes. It is undoubtedly a healthy measure to transfer to the bus and wait for it to go, which not only exercises the body, but also reduces the adverse effects of waiting for the bus and crowding on the psychology.
The basic requirement of walking for health preservation is to hold your head high and hold your chest high.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that walking can also keep you healthy, and the key to walking is to hold your head high, mop the floor with your feet, be too fast and have lazy arms, which are the top four on the blacklist of wrong standing posture. Bowing your head and holding your chest is not only the easiest way to bring fatigue, but also may affect cardiopulmonary function. Mopping the soles of your feet gives people a feeling of untidiness and ugliness, and more importantly, it will "hurt" joints, muscles and arches. Walking is like "walking in a hurry", it is inevitable to collide with people, and the risk of accidents such as falls and traffic accidents will be higher.
Correct posture: When we were young, we were always taught by our mother to walk with our heads held high. These four words really tell the essence of correct walking. Although the legs move the most, the eyes, head, chin, neck, shoulders, back, chest and arms are all key, so you need to "calibrate" their positions at any time. Eyes should be 3-6 meters ahead; Look up and find a feeling of "pulling up"; Take out the contracted chin and ensure that it is parallel to the ground; The neck should be "positive" and move forward naturally with the body; Keep your shoulders at the same level; The back should be "gathered" slightly backwards; Don't hold your chest out, but stand up; Don't idle your arms, keep your upper arms drooping naturally and swing naturally at both sides of your body with a range of 30-45 degrees. This will make you walk more easily and look more elegant and dignified.
Tips for walking health: You can cooperate with some small movements when walking, such as clapping your hands for 5 minutes and rubbing your abdomen. Old people with poor kidneys can also walk on tiptoe for 5 minutes to warm and tonify kidney yang by massaging the forefoot and the inside of the thumb.
Focus on your legs.
God can regulate his anger. Qi can mobilize the essence and inject it into the joints of the legs. The water flowing in the human body is called body fluid, which is relatively thin and runs through the skin. When the body temperature is hot, it passes through the sweat gland channel and when the body temperature is cold, it passes through the urethra. This liquid is viscous and flows through human bones and muscles to lubricate joints. If people's walking energy is not on the legs, hips, knees and ankles, these "human bearings" will not get enough lubricating oil, but they will bear the weight of 100 kg or even 200 kg. Over time, it will wear out the joints, causing some people's femoral heads and knees to change.
When walking, pay attention to your legs. Walking for a long time will not make your legs sore. This is the result of joint fluid perfusion.
Walking is the most economical exercise, with no investment and no major problems. Improper selection of competitive events will lead to accidents. For example, some elderly people die suddenly on the tennis court, often because people's energy is not on their legs but on the ball, which leads to inner emptiness and distraction.
Walking intensity
"Life lies in exercise." This is a common saying. If you add two words-moderation, this sentence will be more accurate, that is, "life lies in moderate exercise." Exercise must be moderate. Walk lightly, and rest when your legs are tired. Go far, go back, and come back by car when your legs are tired. Because a tired leg is like a hot engine cylinder of a car, if you start it again, it will wear out parts.
People with insufficient liver-qi should not do much exercise. Middle-aged and elderly people are also not suitable for large-scale exercise. Because these people are short of fluid, it is easy to cause joint wear. Some middle-aged people bought a package ticket to the gym, but instead of exercising well, they had heart problems. Because of exhaustion of energy, there has been a "lack of energy."
It's time to go.
Leave in the morning. Morning is spring, and spring takes the initiative. Spring and summer are eternal, and dawn comes early. From 3: 00 to 5: 00, you can go out for a walk as long as it is dawn. You can do housework indoors before dawn, for exercise. The liver is active, and it should be in the spring, governing the meridians and moving the meridians in the morning. Go out for a walk at dawn Liver governs wind, which is popular in the sky and is beneficial to the expression of liver qi in early spring.
It is unwise to go out for a walk after supper. "Go out early and return late." This is a familiar word. As early as spring, spring dominated Yang, Yang dominated initiative, and Yang dominated outside. Morning exercise is to encourage Yang. The setting sun is autumn, autumn is cloudy, yin dominates quietness and yin dominates the interior, and reducing activities at night is to converge the yang. Autumn is the main harvest season. Without autumn harvest, there is no storage and the essence is lost. Late is winter, and winter is the main storage. Money is useless without savings. At 9 pm in early winter, the excitement after that will disturb the spirit of the sun and make it disappear. If winter is cold, farmers in North China will say: Next year's wheat harvest! Because the wheat is sleeping, the sun will not be disturbed. If it is a warm winter, farmers will be worried. Because wheat is disturbed by the sun, spring germination is morbid.
Choose the right way to walk
1, ordinary walking is suitable for general health care. Walk at a slow speed (60-70 steps/minute) and a medium speed (80-90 steps/minute) for 30-60 minutes at a time. Elderly people with coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke sequelae and respiratory diseases can be reduced to 20-30 minutes each time.
2. Walk fast for 90- 120 steps/minute for 30-60 minutes at a time. Suitable for middle-aged and elderly people, healthy people and patients with chronic arthritis, gastrointestinal diseases and hypertension in recovery period.
3. Walking with a swing arm at a speed of 60-90 steps/minute and swinging your arms back and forth can improve the activities of your shoulders and chest. It is suitable for patients with tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, respiratory diseases, scapulohumeral periarthritis and arthritis of upper and lower limbs.
4. Knead the abdomen and walk at a speed of 30-60 steps/minute. Massage the abdomen with both hands, one step at a time, and rotate back and forth alternately for 3-5 minutes at a time. This is a traditional Chinese medicine health preserving method. "A Thousand Daughters Must Be Prescribed" says: "When you are full, you can walk a hundred steps, and often rub your stomach with your hands hundreds of times ... then you will benefit people and be disease-free." From a modern point of view, easy walking and gentle abdominal massage can promote the secretion of gastric juice, strengthen gastrointestinal peristalsis, and help treat indigestion and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
5. When walking backwards, put your arm at the Mingmen point, slowly walk backwards for 50 steps, and then move forward 100 step. Repeat for 5- 10 times. Suitable for the elderly with mild dementia and nervous system diseases.
6, quantitative walking according to the required exercise intensity, specify a certain distance, speed, slope, rest times and time. Exercise intensity is measured by heart rate, and the standard for 30 years old is 130 beats/minute. 40 years old is 120 times/minute; Over 60 years old is 1 10 times/minute. Walk for 30-60 minutes at a time. It has a good effect on reducing abdominal fat, lowering blood pressure and improving the body's light pleasure.
In addition, there are walking modes such as walking slowly and walking backwards, which can be selected according to your own situation. No matter which way you choose, the amount and intensity of exercise should be arranged reasonably according to physical fitness, physical strength, physical fitness and other factors. Don't rush into it, but step by step and persevere. The control of exercise mainly depends on self-feeling such as pulse, sleep, appetite and body reaction. If the heart rate is taken as the standard, the walking time should be kept at 100- 120 times/min and should not exceed 130 times. 10 minutes later, the heart rate should be restored to more than before exercise 10- 15 beats/min. Good sleep, good appetite and no discomfort indicate that walking and exercise are appropriate.
Influence of different walking postures on health preservation: breathe freely while walking.
When you walk, your hand is half-raised, and the tiger's mouth is Zhang Kaicheng-shaped. When you step forward with your left foot, open your hands to your sides. When the left foot hits the ground, the right hand gently slaps the left chest (the upper 1/4 area of a straight line drawn vertically and horizontally with the nipple as the origin), and the left hand slaps the right back waist. Then take your right leg, beat your right chest with your left hand, beat your left back with your right hand, and walk forward while patting. According to Zhao Zhixin, Secretary-General of Beijing Scientific Fitness Expert Lecturer Group, this way of walking can exercise the lungs and help to breathe smoothly. When walking, keep your body upright and keep your eyes forward.
Stride without hunching.
Because of the weakness and relaxation of back muscles, the elderly often have spinal deformation and hunchback. When walking, you might as well stride with your hands open, so that you can relax the muscles of your back and abdomen, exercise the muscles of your back and abdomen at the same time, and reduce the burden on your waist. When walking, you should keep your upper body straight, your chin extended forward, your head held high, and your shoulders extended backward. The appropriate stride is the distance between your arms. At the same time, it is generally appropriate to swing your arm back and forth at a speed of 80 ~ 90 steps per minute.
Go, go, run, burn fat.
Do high-intensity exercise for a short time first, and then switch to a slightly longer low-intensity exercise to allow the body time to recover. This is called interval training. Compared with continuous aerobic exercise, interval training has higher exercise intensity and can reduce pain and fatigue after exercise. At the same time, high-intensity exercise also accelerates fat burning. When exercising, you can run for 15 seconds and then walk for 45 seconds, so that you can exercise alternately for 20 minutes. You can also run for 60 seconds and then walk for 3 minutes, so you can see the effect by alternating 30 minutes. This way is stronger. Shake your legs, swing your arms, relax and relieve muscle tension after exercise.
Good temperament is moving forward.
Queen Elizabeth II has always presented herself as a healthy and energetic woman. One of the important reasons is that the queen has a unique way of keeping in good health. For decades, the queen has insisted on walking on weekends. She walks in a special way, adopting a "step forward". You don't have to walk in a standard posture like a soldier. As long as you put your feet on the ground and look forward until your body feels sweaty, you will achieve the purpose of exercise.
Walking on tiptoe can protect the kidneys.
Li Yuehua, a professor at the Center for Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, pointed out that with the increase of age, the kidney qi of the elderly gradually decreased. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the kidney is the "innate foundation" and is closely related to bones, teeth and ears. Therefore, the decline of kidney qi in the elderly is mainly manifested in leg weakness, loose teeth and hearing loss. Old people with these symptoms might as well try walking on tiptoe. When walking on tiptoe, the inside of the forefoot and the thumb of the foot play a supporting role, while the kidney meridian of Foot Shaoyin, liver meridian of Foot Jueyin and spleen meridian of Foot Taiyin pass through here. This can massage the foot three yin, and warm and tonify the kidney yang through the kidney meridian with insufficient yin. Walk on tiptoe every day 10 minutes or so. You can stop and go halfway, rest when you are tired, and achieve the purpose of stimulating acupuncture points. However, it is difficult to walk on tiptoe, especially for the elderly. We must do it step by step, and it is best to have AIDS patients around us at the beginning of practice. Stick to it for a long time, and don't overdo it every time; Old people with severe osteoporosis are not advised to walk on tiptoe.
Walking backwards to treat low back pain.
Backward walking originated in the 1970s, when some track and field athletes were injured. This method was used for physical recovery exercises. Later, some sports experts pointed out that walking backwards is actually a good exercise method. Wu, a professor at Beijing Sport University, pointed out that walking backwards can exercise the back muscles that are rarely used at ordinary times and balance the exercise effect. For sedentary people, walking backwards can effectively relieve physical fatigue and backache.
Old people's physical function degenerates and their balance ability declines. When walking backwards, you are likely to fall and bump because you can't see the road behind you. In addition, the old people can't walk too fast because of their inflexible legs and feet, so the exercise intensity is very small, which has little influence on the exercise of cardiopulmonary function and is not economical in terms of fitness effect. Therefore, the old man should try not to walk backwards. It is recommended that people who like to walk backwards try to choose a flat road surface. In the environment with few people around, you can use the combination of walking forward and walking back for half an hour every day to exercise all parts of your body.
Take measures to relieve constipation
Yang Li, a professor at China Academy of Sciences, pointed out that exercise itself is a natural prescription to improve constipation, one step at a time, which is more targeted. The key point of walking step by step is that the left and right feet should step on the center line between the feet in turn. When the left and right soles touch the ground, twist your hips to the left and right respectively to keep your upper body relaxed. This kind of walking will drive the crotch to twist, which will help to increase the strength of the waist, stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis and effectively prevent constipation. You don't need much exercise to walk one step at a time. Think of it as a part of walking every day. Walking 500 meters is enough. In addition, when walking, you need to be careful not to swing and twist your hips too much, and try to keep your body balanced to avoid spraining your ankle.
Gou Bo, a professor in the Department of Health Sciences of Xi Institute of Physical Education, pointed out that before walking, three preparations should be made first: 1. Dress appropriately. Wear a pair of soft-soled running shoes to protect the ankle from injury, and wear a comfortable sportswear, which is conducive to physical activity. 2. Fully warm up. Do stretching and stretching exercises to prevent sports injuries. 3. Bring a bottle of water, and replenish less water and more water during exercise to prevent dehydration.
Hurry to prevent many diseases.
Walking fast every day can effectively fight diabetes, reduce stroke and prevent Alzheimer's disease. A study by Loughborough University in the United Kingdom also found that brisk walking every day can improve immunity and reduce the chance of catching a cold by 30%. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that the survival rate of women with breast cancer is 45% higher than that of women with breast cancer who don't like to walk. For menopausal women, the health care function of brisk walking is more obvious. After menopause, the probability of suffering from hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia will gradually increase. Harvard University found that middle-aged and elderly women walk for 45 minutes to 1 hour every day, and the chance of catching the wind can be reduced by 40%.
A quick walk should last at least 40 to 60 minutes. People who have just started to exercise can gradually increase the frequency and duration of exercise, first take a walk every other day, starting from half an hour, and then insist on exercising every day after getting used to it. Most people feel a little wheezing and sweating when walking fast, which shows that the amount of exercise is up to standard. Some people like to walk with their hands behind their backs, so the exercise value of walking is almost zero. The correct posture should be chest, hip and swing arm. It should be noted that diabetic patients had better take a piece of candy with them when walking fast to prevent hypoglycemia accidents.
Make three preparations before you go: 1. Dress appropriately. Wear a pair of soft-soled running shoes to protect the ankle from injury, and wear a comfortable sportswear, which is conducive to physical activity. 2. Fully warm up. Do stretching and stretching exercises to prevent sports injuries. 3. Bring a bottle of water, and replenish less water and more water during exercise to prevent dehydration.
Four points that should be paid attention to in walking health care
Walking is not only the simplest fitness exercise, but also the easiest exercise to calibrate load measurement. In order to achieve the fitness effect, walking activities must adhere to the principles of constancy, order and moderation, and the following four items must also be noted.
Exercise time should be moderate.
Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes at a time and walk 8000 to 10000 steps every day. We should advocate "walking to and from work", "taking a hundred steps after meals", "going into nature on weekends", "shopping on foot", "couples walking" and "family tours for the young and the old", and organically combine walking with the lifestyle of modern people.
Scientifically control the intensity of exercise
Heart rate is generally used to control exercise intensity. Walking intensity should generally reach heart rate 100 ~ 120 times per minute. Learn how to measure your pulse during exercise. Generally, you can count your pulse 10 second while walking, and then multiply it by one minute's pulse.
Choose a good sportswear.
Walking with the lower limbs as the exercise part, you should choose sports shoes with good air permeability, comfortable uppers and elastic soles. Shoes that are too small and too narrow are easy to scratch your feet and make them blister. Shoes should be light, strong and durable, and the soles have good stability when landing. People with beriberi and tinea pedis should also pay attention to wearing cotton socks when exercising. Insoles should be kept clean and often aired.
Pay attention to walking safety.
Although the load of walking exercise is not great, it should not be taken lightly, especially for the weak. If the body is too tired and nervous, it should be adjusted by walking, and the load and intensity should not be too large. Try to choose a place with fresh air and beautiful environment for a walk. Pay attention to prevent waist sprain when carrying heavy objects. Patients with various chronic diseases or obesity should pay special attention to walking safety.
Walking is the easiest way to exercise. However, the incorrect walking style often can't play a good exercise effect, and it can also lead to other diseases.