As the saying goes, "life lies in sports", no matter what age group, everyone is encouraged to exercise more when they have time, which is enough to prove the importance of exercise to our physical health.
However, for the special group of the elderly, their physical functions are no longer able to support the consumption of most of the exercise, and they can only do some relatively low-intensity exercises, such as walking.
However, some people have recently suggested that if you simply do low-intensity exercise, the sports injuries are often greater than the benefits brought by exercise, and it is better to sit and lie down more to recuperate.
In particular, low-intensity exercise such as walking tends to last for a long time, and it is not easy to produce fatigue and discomfort, but the wear and tear of the ankles, knees and other joints has quietly occurred, and it is easy to cause diseases at an advanced age, resulting in difficulty in walking. So is this true? Is it a good thing to walk regularly, let's see what the research says:
1. Research finds: walking or the best exercise for the elderly
Although we often say that "life lies in exercise", it is a little difficult for the elderly, due to the increase in age and the decline in physical condition, their body tissues are difficult to support the consumption caused by various high-intensity exercises, and can only carry out some low-intensity exercises, such as walking, tai chi, etc.
But many people feel that the effect of these low-intensity exercises is too poor, the amount of exercise is too little, and it has no effect at all, and may increase the risk of exercise and cause unnecessary damage to the elderly, so is this really the case?
In order to figure out this problem, researchers from the Journal of the American Medical Association once did a study, they gathered more than 100 volunteers over 65 years old, divided them into two groups, one of which insisted on walking 3~5 kilometers a day, at least 5 days a week, the researchers conducted detailed statistics on their body data in the process, and after 15 weeks, the researchers found that some data of the body of volunteers in the exercise group were significantly different from those in the non-exercise group.
After statistics, they found that people who insisted on walking every day increased their muscle elasticity by about 0.8~1.5%, and the incidence of diseases such as osteoporosis and knee arthritis also decreased by about 50~60%.
The degree of wear and tear of their knees, ankles and other joints is completely within the normal rate of joint wear, that is to say, this level of walking exercise does not increase the burden on their joints.
In addition, during the walk, the heart rate of the elderly will gradually increase to reach the range of heart rate adaptation. This enhances heart function and promotes the health of the cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure in older people, improves blood circulation, reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, and helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Moreover, older people tend to exercise less and have low body consumption, which is prone to problems such as slowing down metabolic rate and muscle mass, resulting in an increase in body fat content. As a low-intensity aerobic exercise, walking can burn more calories, promote fat burning, prevent excess weight, increase metabolic rate, enhance muscle strength, and maintain the balance of body composition.
Therefore, compared with other high-intensity exercises, walking can be said to be one of the best exercises for the elderly, but the doctor reminds that although the intensity of walking is low, there are still certain risks, and the elderly over 65 years old must pay attention to the following points when walking:
2. Reminder: After the age of 65, you should pay attention to these 3 points when walking
1. Choose the right road surface
In older people, joint function gradually weakens, the thickness of the articular cartilage decreases, and the joint space narrows. If you choose a harder road surface, such as a cement road, the impact of each step will be transmitted to the joints through the soles of the feet when walking, increasing the burden on the joints.
Over time, it is easy to lead to joint pain and inflammation in the elderly, and choosing a road surface with suitable softness, such as rubber runway or grass, can reduce the burden on the joint to a certain extent and reduce the risk of joint damage.
Secondly, choosing the right road surface also helps to improve the mobility and balance of the elderly, who are prone to falls and falls when walking with the characteristics of small stride, slow pace and instability.
2. Appropriately control the time
With age, the cardiovascular system gradually weakens, the resting heart rate increases, the cardiac output decreases, and the elasticity of the blood vessel wall decreases. Prolonged exercise increases the burden on the heart and oxygen consumption, which may lead to problems such as rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure.
According to relevant studies, the reasonable duration of walking exercise for the elderly is generally controlled at 30-45 minutes to avoid exceeding their own tolerance range to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular accidents.
Older people generally have reduced muscle strength and poor muscular endurance, and are prone to muscle fatigue and joint pain. Exercising for a long time will keep the muscles and joints in a state of load, increase the accumulation of fatigue, and easily lead to sports injuries.
3. Pay attention to the condition of your legs
Older people gradually lose bone density, muscle strength and elasticity decrease, and ligaments and articular cartilage are also susceptible to damage.
Prolonged walking can lead to leg fatigue, muscle soreness, and even serious injuries such as fractures and sprains. Paying attention to the condition of the legs at all times can detect leg discomfort and pain in time, and take appropriate measures, such as rest, hot compresses, cold compresses, etc., to reduce pain and prevent further aggravation of injuries. At the same time, pay attention to observe whether there is abnormal conditions such as swelling and deformation of the legs, and seek medical attention in time for clear diagnosis and treatment.
In addition, it should be noted that walking is only an aid to promote health, and it is not to be forced, if the leg health condition does not allow, it is recommended to suspend or terminate the walk first, and it should be based on the body itself. If necessary, it is recommended to contact a professional doctor for systematic examination and treatment before formulating a personal exercise plan.
3. If the elderly want to do a good walk, this place must be protected
We all know that the core part of walking is our lower limbs, which have important functions such as carrying weight, movement, balance and walking. But as the only mammal on Earth that walks upright all the time, our lower limb joints are under more stress than other animals, so the maintenance of our lower limbs is crucial.
First of all, one of the principles of lower limb protection is to try to avoid excessive stress stimulation of muscles, ligaments and bones. Prolonged standing, walking, or exercising can lead to muscle fatigue and overuse of the lower extremities, increasing the risk of muscle strain and ligament strain.
Therefore, it is necessary to arrange activities and rest time reasonably in daily life, avoid standing or walking for long periods of time, and reduce the time and frequency of high-intensity exercise.
The second is to maintain good blood circulation in the lower limbs, which is common in standing for a long time, sitting for a long time or improper posture, such as cross-legged legs.
Poor blood circulation can lead to problems such as edema, pain, varicose veins in the lower limbs. Proper standing and sitting posture, appropriate rest and exercise, and wearing appropriate footwear can all promote blood circulation in the lower extremities.
Finally, the correct walking posture and the choice of shoes are also important to protect the health of the lower limbs.
The walking posture should be upright and straight, with the arms swinging naturally, and avoiding excessive swinging. Proper posture helps to reduce the load on the muscles and joints of the lower limbs, protecting the ligaments and bones.
In addition, choosing the right shoes is also an important measure to protect the lower limbs. The right shoes should be able to provide adequate support and cushioning to reduce injuries to the lower limbs from friction and impact, and should be reasonably selected based on factors such as the individual's gait, arch and shoe size.
In summary, walking is one of the best exercises for older adults because it improves cardiovascular health, promotes bone health, maintains normal weight, and improves cognitive and mental health.
When the elderly take a walk, they should pay attention to reasonably controlling the intensity and duration of exercise, and take timely rest to ensure safety. It is recommended that the elderly insist on walking every day to maintain the basic activity level of the body, and can consider a moderate exercise plan under the guidance of a doctor.
[References]
[1] Tan Kai, Wang Junli, Wang Yulong.Meta-analysis of the relationship between walking exercise and falls in low-risk older adults[J].Sports Science Research, 2019, 23(3):8.
Contemporary Sports Science and Technology, 2019, 9(32):2.
[3] Liu M, Liu Annuo, Xia Chao, et al.Re-evaluation of a systematic review of the effect of exercise intervention on walking function in the elderly[J].Evidence-Based Nursing, 2021, 7(8):10.
[4] Chen Xuanlan, Jiang Hua.Clinical value of walking exercise training in patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure[J]. 2023(12).
#文章首发挑战赛#