What do Paris, Rome, and London all have in common? There are probably a few right answers to this question but the one relevant to this newsletter is that they are all major walking centres. People living in Canadian and American cities, except for New York City, generally walk much less than their European neighbours.
Let’s consider the footsteps of an average person in Paris. At the end of a day, his or her shoes could routinely walk three to five kilometres. Moreover, part of that distance would be uphill and downhill because many old buildings and many metro subway stations do not have elevators or escalators. As a result, many residents of Paris walk up and down the equivalent of ten to twenty flights of stairs every day all year round.
There are many benefits of regular walking, some of which are already well known. For example, walking is good for your heart, helps to burn calories and regulate body weight, and can alleviate stress. In addition to these important benefits, regular walking also provides a number of other less well known benefits.
Let’s consider the effect of walking on osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The physical impact of each foot contacting the ground is an integral part of helping to keep bones strong. To go one step further – mind the pun – two recent studies showed that supplements of certain nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium (G. Zhang et al., July 2007, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research) or icariin (M. Hitz et al., July 2007, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) can even increase bone density in people who are osteoporotic. Activity seemed to play a beneficial role as the subgroup of individuals who were the most active within the group ingesting vitamin D and calcium supplements realized the best overall outcome in regards to increased bone density. The activities referred to were weight bearing or resisted exercise training in regards to enhancing the efficacy of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone mineralization.
A recent study by Norman Ng and reported in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy found that people walking thirty minutes three times per week and taking glucosamine sulphate supplements had better results than those who just received the supplements. The better results included reduced pain and swelling, as well as improved joint function. The people in this study had confirmed osteoarthritis of the hip and knee and were considered inactive.
Regular walking is a superb way to help counter the postural strains so commonly linked with computer use. Walking involves swinging the arms and legs along with rotation of the spine, which typically helps to loosen contracted tight muscles throughout the body. Part of this loosening up process is the result of improved blood flow in constricted areas. Additionally, walking helps to lubricate joints, which is crucial to keeping them healthy. This is because cartilage on the joint surface does not have a blood supply to feed it nutrients. Instead, cartilage gets it’s nutrients from joint fluid, but only through the action of movement.
Regular walking is a simple, inexpensive and low-risk way to improve your health and performance. Why not step up to the walking habits and benefits that have long been enjoyed in Paris, London and New York City.
