1. New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reported that brisk walking 3 hours per week can reduce a women’s risk of heart attack by 30-40%, as much as vigorous exercise such as jogging, biking, and swimming.
2. Retired elderly men: NEJM reported that men who walked more than 2 miles per day showed a reduction in mortality by 50%.
3. A study involving 11,000 Harvard University alumni showed that by walking briskly just 1 hour a day, 5 days a week can reduce the chance of suffering from a stroke by 46%. Walking just 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week reduced the risk of suffering from a stroke by 24%. (American Stroke Association)
4. Exercise done as a habit for a long time, such as walking, can reduce the effects of mental decline associated with aging by up to 25%. (The Physician and Sportsmedicine)
5. Walking just 3 hours per week has shown to lower overall blood pressure by 10mmHg. (NEJM)
6. Walking has shown to decrease the risk of colon, breast, GI, and prostate cancer. (NEJM)
7. Exercise has shown to reduce death from coronary artery disease (leading cause of a heart attack) by 20-25%. (NEJM)
8. Today, 55% of the population over the age of 20 is considered obese. The average American is carrying around 20-30+ extra pounds of body fat. Exercise reduces obesity and the risk of dying from complications resulting from obesity. (The Physician and Sportsmedicine).
9. Do you have low back pain? Exercise such as walking has been shown to decrease the incidence of low back pain. Exercise helps distribute weight over a larger area, improves hydration of discs, and reduces body weight. (Consultant)
10. Regular exercise also helps with osteoporosis, congestive heart failure, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and depression.