High blood pressure is the leading cause of premature death worldwide, contributing to heart disease, kidney disease and stroke – and nearly a third of UK adults have it. But a new study published in the journal Preventive Medicine and drawing on the biggest-ever sample of participants reveals the stark and simple truth: start walking and you’ll reduce your blood pressure within 1-3 months; speed up your walking and the benefits compound, branching into prevention of all the major chronic diseases.
The study of 160,470 UK adults was the first to examine relationships between walking pace, blood pressure and chronic disease, and found that upping the pace of your walking to ‘brisk’ reduces your overall risk of cancer, Type 2 Diabetes and all cardio-vascular diseases, including angina, stroke and heart failure. The research also revealed walking briskly reduces low-grade inflammation too, a chronic low-grade immune response characterised by feelings of under-the-weatherness and fatigue. It’s a widespread problem affecting between 20-40% of the population and a proven contributor to your risk of cancer. The researchers say the findings have important implications for preventing major chronic diseases and improving public health. 1000-milers say: wait til you discover all the other amazing things walking does!
