Latest news with #LaurenElson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The latest walking trend that could help burn more calories and lower blood pressure
Lace up those sneakers! There's another walking trend that you may want to consider before your next workout. Developed in Japan, the interval walking method is a form of High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, training. It's all about bursts of brisk energy, and interval training has long been known to offer benefits — perhaps more than the traditional target of 10,000 daily steps. So, how does it work? According to Tom's Guide, the method suggests you start your walk at a low intensity - one which you could easily hold a conversation - for three minutes. After that, you should walk at a high intensity for three minutes, during which you are working hard. You then alternate between those intensities for a period of 30 minutes or even more. The benefits of interval and HIIT training are widelyestablished. HIIT work, which consists of alternating between bursts of intense work and recovery times, can help to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time. People continue to burn calories for hours after their workouts. 'These workouts typically cause you to burn more fat and build muscle. Studies have also showed that high-intensity workouts may help lower blood pressure and heart rate,' according to UC Davis Health. Interval training offers cardiovascular benefits and can improve age-related muscle loss. Researchers have previously found that people between the ages of 65 to 80 who did such training reversed age-related deterioration of muscle cells and improved muscle power. "The key is to walk at a brisk pace that gets the heart rate up and makes you work harder," Dr. Lauren Elson, medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Walking for Health, said in a statement. Any cardio can improve the health of your heart, strengthen the immune system, and help to manage your weight. Recent research has found that taking just 9,000 steps a day can help to lower your risk of developing 13 different cancers. Federal health authorities say that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, in addition to two days of muscle-strengthening activity. "Walking also is a great way to get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, as you can do it indoors or outdoors, and workouts can be adjusted to fit any fitness level," said Elson.
India Today
26-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
Interval walking boosts heart health and helps you reduce weight: What is it
When it comes to improving your heart health and shedding those extra kilos, you don't always need intense gym workouts or fancy equipment.A simple routine called interval walking is proving to be highly effective, and it's something almost anyone can IS INTERVAL WALKING? Interval walking involves alternating between periods of brisk walking and slower, relaxed walking. The idea is to walk at a faster-than-usual pace for a short time to raise your heart rate, then slow down to recover, and repeat the cycle over a set time or key is to walk briskly enough to get your heart rate up and make you work harder," according to Dr. Lauren Elson, medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Walking for what counts as "brisk" can differ from person to person. To find the right intensity, Dr. Elson recommends using the Perceived Exertion Scale, aiming for a 5 to 6 level, which is a moderate-intensity effort where you can still talk but not INTERVAL WALKING MATTERSResearch shows that interval walking offers numerous heart-health benefits. A major study published in Cell Metabolism found that people aged 65 to 80 who did interval workouts, including walking routines, not only improved their cardiovascular health but also reversed age-related muscle loss. Their muscles became stronger, more powerful, and more interval walking supports weight loss by boosting metabolism and helping burn more calories compared to steady, slow walking. The repeated bursts of effort challenge the body, making it an efficient and sustainable way to shed extra 5-4-5 WALKING FORMULAA new twist on interval walking, called the 5-4-5 formula, is gaining attention. It's simple:5 minutes of running or brisk walking to raise your heart rate4 minutes of slow walking to recover5 minutes of brisk walking to maintain elevated heart activityRepeating this sequence two to three times a day can create a 30- to 45-minute workout that fits easily into busy schedules. There's no need for a gym, and you can do it anywhere, in a park, around your neighbourhood, or even on a treadmill.A 2024 study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that structured walking intervals significantly improved VO max — a key measure of aerobic fitness. Participants who followed an interval routine also saw notable reductions in Body Mass Index (BMI) after just six short bursts of movement throughout the day can counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting. According to another study, taking 7,000 to 9,000 steps daily, especially broken into brisk bursts, can greatly reduce the risks linked to sedentary continuous jogging or running, interval walking is gentler on the joints while still offering powerful cardiovascular benefits. It strikes a healthy balance between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and traditional aerobic exercise, making it a great option for people of all fitness a world filled with complex fitness trends, the 5-4-5 walking formula stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness. Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve heart health, or just feel better mentally and physically, interval walking offers a smart, science-backed solution that fits into daily small steps, quite literally, can lead to big gains for your heart, waistline, and overall well-being.
