I remember that Dr. Kim Kwang-won of the Diabetes Center of Samsung Seoul Hospital, where I currently work, said at a health lecture, “I could count on my finger tips the best treatment method for diabetes after studying diabetes for life. That’s exercise.”

At the time, I slapped my knee in glee to get advice from an outstanding master of diabetes.

This spring, I plan to recommend to nearly all I meet at my outpatient clinic that they walk 30 minutes a day. This is because I finally realized that there’s nothing better than walking after having studied health promotion for life. Modern medicine tells the truth: Walking can prolong your life, while lying can shorten it.

Question 1

Why walking is important?

There are two reasons for the importance of walking. The first one is its universality. That is, walking is an exercise that everyone can do anytime, anywhere.

The second one is its effectiveness. Walking can have a positive impact on nearly all diseases including blood pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, digestive disturbance, reflux esophagitis, heart disease, dementia, impaired brain function, depression, lower back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity and cancer.

Question 2

Can humans be healthy just by walking?

Sure. Humans have walked erect through several million years of evolution. With the easier use of both hands, humans’ brains developed rapidly. This led to the development of language and science. Without the ability to walk, we would not have developed into mankind today and created human culture.

This ultimately means that the human body will undergo degenerative changes without walking.

The effects of walking are based on the essential characteristics of the human body. Humans should walk.

Question 3

Is walking good because of the three zeros?

Zero 1 is that walking causes no trauma. Walking is the safest exercise that everyone can do with no respect to whether they are a man or woman. Zero 2 is that walking requires no special skills. Zero 3 is that walking causes no stress.

There are a lot people who are under stress because they have to do an exercise they don’t want to. Walking is the only exercise that we can do without stress.

Question 4

Is walking effective in decreasing body weight?

Sure. If we burn 50 calories by walking 30 minutes, we can conclude that we can burn 1,500 calories a month. If we walk with diet control, it is more effective. Walking every day with a 10 percent reduction in calorie intake can reduce body weight by approximately 0.5-1 kg a month. Monthly weight loss of 1 kg is my recommended method.

It can easily be done, puts no burden on the human body and causes no weight cycling (yo-yo effect) where body weight increases again later. If we continue to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, we can initiate the combustion of body fat. I therefore recommend that we exercise 30 minutes a day to lose body weight. Exercising just 2-3 times a week, however, would have smaller effects. I therefore recommend that you exercise five times a week. We should begin with simple hiking. Then, we should walk at a quick pace for 40-50 minutes by elevating the intensity to moderate or higher when we get accustomed to it.

It is more effective for reducing body fat to prolong the length of exercise rather than raise its intensity. This explains why walking is more effective in reducing the body weight than running in many cases.

Question 5

Can walking lower blood pressure and blood sugar?

Sure. If you check how much your blood sugar has lowered after walking, you’ll see how walking is good for you.

Blood pressure is usually lowered by 5-10 mmHg after walking.

Question 6

Is it possibly true that walking can prevent the occurrence of dementia?

Sure. To our surprise, the best method for preventing the occurrence of dementia is to exercise. Exercise promotes the blood supply to the brain, protects the cranial nerves and increases the synaptic connection between the neurons. Thus, it contributes to improving brain function.

Even healthy individuals can improve their memory and overall brain function with regular exercise.

Question 7

Can walking help with arthritis?

Yes. Walking and exercise increase joint flexibility and muscle strength. This is eventually helpful for patients with arthritis. But you should not feel pain while walking. If you feel pain, you should consult a physician.

Question 8

What is a good walking posture?

Firstly, spread your chest. When you spread your chest, you can open your shoulders and naturally see ahead. Secondly, the heel should land on the ground first. This should be followed by the sole and then the ball of the foot. Thirdly, swing your arms back and forth. Swinging your arms sideways can tilt your body left or right causing difficulty balancing. Overall, a comfortable, harmonious and rhythmic walking posture is important.

Question 9

Is there a particular walking program middle-aged people should follow?

With middle-aged people, walking should be done 30 minutes a day and three times a week. If less frequently, the effects of exercise will be negligible.

It is recommended that you exercise to such an extent that you sweat after walking. The more precise method is based on the pulse rate. For instance, if you are 50 years of age, you may gradually increase the intensity of exercise up to 80-90 percent based on a pulse rate of 102 beats/min, corresponding to 60 percent of their maximum pulse rate, according to a formula: the maximum pulse rate = (170 = 220-age [50]).

Once we have accommodated ourselves to the intensity of exercise, we can gradually increase it up to 40-50 minutes per each exercise session, five times a week.

Question 10

Are there any precautions?

We should rest when we feel pain during or after walking. Beginners in exercise, obese people, elderly people and those with problematic joints or heart should increase the amount of exercise gradually from mild intensity.

To prevent pain, we should relax the muscles or joints through stretching before and after walking.

Because excessive climbing puts a great burden on the knee and ankle, it should be avoided. Both a lawn and a lane are the best course of walking.

By Kwon Young-hoon

The author is a professor at the Samsung Medical Center. ― Ed.