Older Adults Advised to Walk More Briskly
By Roberta Alexander, Healthline
September 6, 2017
Experts say exercise starts to decline as people surpass the age of 40, so they have some tips on how to make your daily walk more effective.
“An entire industry has grown up around walking, a skill most of us mastered by the time we celebrated our first birthday.
There are coaches, expensive shoes, and digital equipment to measure how hard your body is working, how much ground you have covered, and how far you have gone.
Meanwhile, some public health officials in England have weighed in on the subject of walking speed.
And brisk is in.
Middle-aged people are being urged to walk faster to help stay healthy.
This comes amid concerns that high levels of inactivity may be harming the health of older adults.
Officials at Public Health England (PHE) say the amount of activity people engage in starts to tail off after the age of 40.
Just 10 minutes a day could have a major impact, they say, and reduce the risk of early death by 15 percent.
PHE officials estimate four out of every 10 people from 40 to 60 years of age do not manage a brisk 10-minute walk even once a month.
And, not surprisingly, it turns out there’s an app for that.”