All The Surprising Benefits Of Short Walks That Beat Long Walks—Start Micro-Walking Today! – ryan
Wellbeing
Nisha Pandey
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About the study on micro-walks
A recent study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that micro-walks may be even better for overall health and fitness than long walks.
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What are micro walks?
Short walking bouts refer to intermittent walking intervals. In this study, a ‘micro-walk’ is defined as walking between 10 and 30 seconds at a time with breaks in between your next walk.
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How was the study conducted?
Participants walked on a treadmill or climbed a short flight of stairs for different periods of time, ranging from 10 seconds to four minutes. They wore masks to measure their oxygen intake that helped calculate energy or calorie consumption.
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The results
The researchers concluded that those who walked in short bursts used up to 60 percent more energy than longer ones, despite the same distance covered.
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Why are micro-walks better for your health?
The study found that the more energy they expended, the more calories they burned. It means you rev up your metabolism with short walks and bun calories, hitting your goal weight in a better way.
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Faster pace
When you engage in short bouts of walking, you are more likely to walk at a faster
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Achievable
You don’t always get the time to walk 10,000 to 12,000 steps in a day. You can engage in short bursts of walking, which is easily doable, realistic and achievable.
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Heart health
Walking in shorter bursts at a faster pace will increase your heart rate more than long, steady walks. This can improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
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