Making physical activity part of your regular routine is a way to keep your heart healthy that has been around for a long time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, incorporating moderate to vigorous physical activity can help prevent 11,000 deaths each year. Going to the gym regularly or picking up a sport you really enjoy are all great long-term measures for health. And while this is the right and basic way to go about it, it can often fall several notches down on our list of priorities as we fulfill our professional and personal responsibilities.
Just like the 10 minute abs and 5 minute arms workout videos, there is also a 150-second walking workout. Recommended by yoga trainer and naturopath Dr Janani Subburaj, this workout has 5 straightforward steps. Consisting of 5 moves, each of which lasts 30 seconds, it starts with a march past, progressing to jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks and touching the opposite toes. This sequence should be repeated a total of 10 times, which according to Dr Subburaj, comes to about 4000 to 5000 steps on her pedometer. While this sounds simple, achievable and a really great sequence to get someone out of their bed and chair and into walking, can you rely on it to help you meet your long-term fitness goals? We asked the experts.
If you are short on time, walking is also fine along with exercise. But Dr Vibhu Kawatra, Consultant Physician at Vibhu Nursing Home, Malviya Nagar, says that active exercise and walking serve two different purposes. Dr Kawatra describes the main benefit of active exercise as being generally higher intensity, which can burn more calories in a shorter period of time. On the other hand, the benefits of walking are that it is easy to incorporate into daily life, requires no special equipment, is perfect for creating a long-term habit, is easy on the joints (so suitable for all fitness levels) as well as being a natural way to improve mood and reduce stress. Dr Kawatra adds, “Active exercise generally burns more calories and can lead to faster weight loss. However, the best approach is often a combination of both – regular walking for consistent activity and active workouts to burn more calories, in addition a combination of the two can provide cardiovascular benefits, strength training and mental health”.
However, Dr Kapil Mago, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Shalby Sanar International Hospitals, Gurugram is all for short morning exercises. He elaborates, “Daily exercise is very beneficial for all of us. A short and brisk session in the morning improves our heart rate, which increases our cardiac output and reduces the chances of MI (myocardial infarction or heart attack) in old age. It also improves our muscle flexibility and strength and prevents us from minor injuries. All this enhances our overall performance and reduces daily stress”.
So will you be on your way to a healthier heart in 150 seconds?
