‘OUR LACK OF ACTIVITY IS KILLING US’
Nearly half of middle-aged people fail to manage a speedy 10-minute walk a month – Dr Christian insists we step it up
Iam not often shocked, but I was dismayed to discover that more than four in ten 40 to 60-year-olds fail to manage one brisk 10-minute walk a month. That explains why we’re in the mess we’re in with weight issues and ill health – so if you’re one of those people, you need to take notice.
SET A GOOD PACE
Public Health England want us to aim for at least one brisk walk a day, because that would reduce risk of early death by 15 per cent. The key word here is “brisk.” That means you should be a bit too out of breath to be able to hold a conversation comfortably. Initially you may not have to walk particularly fast to get a bit breathless, but the more you walk, the easier it will become, so you’ll have to walk a bit faster to get the same benefit. That breathlessness is important because it means you’re raising your heart rate, working your muscles and challenging your lungs, all of which makes you stronger and healthier.
People think they need to run to be fit, and we can get too technical about exercise, which can make it off-putting – it’s all HIIT (high intensity interval training) this and LISS (low-intensity steady-state cardio) that. Terminology can be alienating, but everyone can walk and it cuts your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes just as much as running.
You’d be amazed to know how often it takes having a major health scare to make people aware of their inactivity. It may sound dramatic, but in many people’s cases they have to suffer a mini stroke or an angina attack to take it seriously – but we shouldn’t need to have a scare to get active.
We’re all busy but everyone has a lunch break, so go for a walk during yours. No lunch break? Tot up the hours of TV you watch every evening and minus half an hour for a walk. Listen to a podcast or download an audiobook or the app of your favourite radio station to keep you entertained as you stroll. I often listen to Stephen Fry reading something funny as I walk.
WORK UP A SWEAT
Anything that gets you working up a sweat and a bit out of breath counts – for example, a hilly bike ride, gardening, housework. My tip is to always walk up anything “steep,” so I always climb escalators and stairs and I never use lifts. Whenever there’s an opportunity to walk uphill, do it.
At work, instead of putting a big bottle of water on your desk, keep getting up to refill your glass. Go to the toilet on the next floor and walk the long way round to the photocopier. Make life difficult for yourself!
One in six deaths is linked to inactivity, so if you know that the last time you had to take the stairs you felt really out of breath, that’s your warning sign.