Brisk walk 'the key to beating high blood pressure'
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A brief, brisk walk could be the key to beating high blood pressure, scientists have revealed, as research has shown even short periods of moderate activity can significantly improve the health of the elderly.
The US study, led by Dr Charles Faselis, looked at the health and life longevity of men over the age of 70, all of whom suffered with high blood pressure, and showed that the fittest were 50 per cent less likely to have died within a decade than the least fit. And just a relatively small amount of activity is all that's needed.
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According to the Daily Express, Dr Faselis said: "This level of fitness is achievable by most elderly individuals engaging in a brisk walk of 20 to 40 minutes, most days of the week."
Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the researchers' findings, saying: "Although this is a study of older men with high blood pressure, it confirms the importance of physical activity to our quality of life, however old we are."
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Ms Talbot added: "There are lots of ways of building exercise into our everyday lives. A daily walk provides a sense of wellbeing as well as exercising the heart muscle and lowering blood pressure. If have high blood pressure and are worried about whether you can exercise, have a chat with your GP."
A previous study by the School of Medicine at Cardiff University also found that fitness in old age had a positive impact, with just half an hour walking each day also associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
Do you take a daily walk to keep yourself fit and healthy? Leave your comments below...
