We must bear in mind that heart disease is the main cause of death in our country, myocardial infarction is responsible for more than 50% of this death, followed by stroke.
Cardiovascular diseases are closely related to poor lifestyle habits and modifiable risk factors, such as: high cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes, arterial hypertension, abdominal obesity, psychosocial stress, low intake of fruits and vegetables, alcohol consumption and lack of physical exercise. Regular basis.
Walking is a good and inexpensive way to maintain your health, it is one of the best preventive treatments that can be done.
Let us look at some of the benefits of regular walking:
-Strengthen your heart, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL), also helps in controlling blood pressure.
-Reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes, prevents some types of cancer, such as colon, breast and uterine.
-It makes it easier to keep weight under control, as it increases muscle mass and tone, boosts metabolism and calorie consumption.
-Helps prevent dementia, a disease that affects 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 and 1 in 6 over the age of 80. Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing this condition by up to 40%.
Helps prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone density, especially in women, and strengthens joints by preventing arthritis.
-To tone the legs, buttocks, abdomen and arms, it is recommended that you swing your arms back and forth when you walk.
Taking a walk in the daylight increases the level of Vitamin D in the body.
-Increases energy levels, as it increases circulation and oxygen supply to every cell in the body, helping you feel more alert and alive.
-Increases the level of well-being, improves mood, is effective as an antidepressant in cases of mild depression by releasing endorphins into the bloodstream, which reduce stress and anxiety. According to many scientific studies, walking for 30 minutes daily can reduce the number of deaths due to heart disease by 20%.
The writer is consultant to the Dominican Institute of Cardiology Association.
