Walking: As Good For The Heart As Running

This is good news regarding exercise; it doesn't have to be hard/strenuous exercise to stay healthy. Walking is good if you're able to. I hope you are encouraged by the following article:

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Walking and running are both effective
The study, published in the AHA journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, included 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers and found that the energy used to complete both of these activities leads to similar heart health benefits. In fact, in many cases, walking provided better benefits than running. 

The study showed that running reduced individuals' risk for first-time hypertension by 4.2 percent, while walking cut the risk by 7.2 percent. Similar patterns were shown in the reductions of cholesterol. Walking reduced the incidence of coronary heart disease nearly 5 percent more than running did. 

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Get moving

The study may be heartening for some seniors: You don't have to be a marathon runner to keep your heart healthy. Senior care providers may want to help the elderly adults in their care design a walking program to which they can stick. Before starting, check with a doctor to ensure the senior does not have any health conditions that could cause injury during exercise. There may be certain activities the older adult should avoid, HelpGuide.org reports.  

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