6
Comprehension:
Read the following information carerfully and answer the given questions.
Walking is good for you, there's not much doubt about this. As a way of adding physical activity into your life, it has many advantages. There's a very low barrier to entry, meaning almost everyone, regardless of age or ability, can start walking regularly as a form of exercise.
Walking has clear benefits on keeping our bodies functioning as we get older, improving cardiovascular health, helping lose fat mass and maintain muscle mass, and helping to maintain bone density as well. And these benefits are true for people of all ages. It seems that the more ective you are as a young adult can affect overall health and (in rats, at least) bone the more muscle physical function in later life.
Walking outside is also associated with mental health benefits, particularly if you'reable to walk in parks or green spaces. Such "green exercise" can improve mental health and wellbeing, reduce symptoms of depression, and lower blood pressure to a greater degree than similar urban exercise.
These effects are so strong that walking on a treadmill in a sterile laboratory environment but while watching a TV showing green spaces, can improve stress responses and improve self-esteem and mood when compared to watching scenes of urban built environments. But how many steps are required? Although we're often told to aim for 10,000 steps a day, this number is not really evidence based. In a study of 16,741 older women (average age 72 years), people who walked less than 2,000 steps a day were shown as having the highest risk of death from many different causes, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. People who walked more were less likely to die from any cause.
Another factor to consider is walking pace. As intuitive as it may seem, it's worth pointing out that walking faster is better for you than walking slowly.
Walking speed is also a predictor of mortality in older people. People who walk slower are much more likely to die over the next 14 years of all causes than those who walked at a faster pace.
But while walking is good for you, it's not a magic cure for everything. To gain even further benefits, consider adding in both higher intensity exercises and strengthening exercises, as recommended by the World Health Organization and NHS England.
This should include vigorous, challenging, quick movements that get your heart beating faster and make you out of breath - such as running or cycling up hills, sports games, or walking up stairs. Again intensity is at play here. So although walking is good for cardiovascular fitness, running is better, even if you still only use similar amounts of calories on a short run versus a longer walk.
Which of the following plays the key role in providing benefits when choosing walking workout?
