Walking Has Lasting Health Effects
By Teresa Ambord
Remember all those sitcoms where a chubby guy who's supposed to watch his diet eats a double bacon cheeseburger and has a heart attack?
Of course, common sense tells you that it wasn't that cheeseburger, but a lifetime of bad eating and couch-warming that got him there. But some recent studies show that one fatty meal can affect your vital signs, therefore your body functions. And, one good exercise session like a long walk can mitigate the effects of that meal.
Dr. Jason Gill, of Scotland's University of Glasgow performed extensive studies that were very revealing. Everybody knows that regular exercise has health benefits. But this study went farther.
Here's what they did:
The subjects of the study were 20 obese and normal-weight men, all healthy, middle-aged, and nonsmokers. Each of the men worked out for 90 minutes on a treadmill. This was a much longer workout than any of the participants were accustomed to, and much longer than is usually recommended for basic fitness. Still, the pace was moderate, and everyone completed the entire workout without too much trouble.
The following day, the participants did not exercise at all, but were treated to a meal of high-fat foods that included among other things, chocolate, whipped cream, and nuts. The meal featured 80 grams of fat, 70 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein, and a total of 1,030 calories.
What was the point? To see if the exercise could mitigate the effect of the high-fat intake on the way the blood vessels functioned.
In order to compare, the same meal was served to the same group of people, without the workout. The two tests were run a week or two apart. The results? The men who had walked had triglyceride levels 25 percent lower than those who hadn't. The same results occurred whether the men were lean or obese. The fatty meal did cause a degree of sluggishness in the blood vessel function of those who ate, but less than would have been expected if they had not exercised.
So what are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are fat that the body uses for energy. In small amounts, they are essential to a healthy body. But in excess, they raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. This is why the American Dietetic Association advises Americans to limit their intake of fat to no more than 30 percent of their daily calories.
The blood vessels of the men who worked out before eating dilated better, allowing for improved blood flow, a sign of healthy blood vessel function.
What does this mean? One good exercise session can make a difference in heart health. And one high-fat meal can slow down heart function.
A 90 minute workout may be more than most of us can handle. In that case, Dr. Gill advised in a press release that those who want to improve heart health take two or three shorter sessions, with the goal of 90 total minutes.
Steps Count
Have you heard of the 10,000 Steps-a-Day program? It originated in Japan, when a researcher proved that 10,000 steps corresponds to 30 minutes per day of daily exercise recommended by health experts everywhere. Achieving this level of activity gives you more energy, burns fat, relieves stress, and reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers, osteoporosis, and more. The 10,000 steps program is a realistic goal that most anyone can achieve. Read more about the program by clicking the link below:
