Ramblers are healthy - study
Tuesday January 20th, 2015
People who undertake regular outdoor walking in groups enjoy massive health benefits, according to a UK study reported today.
These
ramblers enjoy lower blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels
than others - as well as carrying less weight and less body fat than others,
researchers found.
Although group walking is often linked to the Ramblers, a range of walking for health schemes have been organised around Britain in venues such as local parks.
The Ramblers themselves, working with Macmillan Cancer Support, organise 3,000 short walks a week around the country using 10,000 volunteer leaders and involving some 70,000 people.
For their latest findings, reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers at the University of East Anglia analysed some 42 studies involving some 1,843 people in 14 countries and some 74,000 hours of group walking.
Many of the participants suffered from obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
The studies showed that 75% of participants would stay with a group walking scheme.
Researcher Sarah Hanson said: “People who walk in groups also tend to have a more positive attitude toward physical activity, a shared experience of wellness, and say they feel less lonely and isolated. Taking regular walks can also be a catalyst for adopting other healthy behaviours.
“The research evidence suggests people enjoy attending walking groups and appear less likely to drop out than many other forms of activity."
* A second study today suggests that people find it easier to adopt healthy lifestyles if their partners do at the same time.
Researchers found that 50% of women managed to give up smoking if their partner did at the same time - compared with less than 20% when their partner was not making the same change.
Writing in JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers report similar effects when it came to getting fit or losing weight.
Some 3,772 couples took part in the study, conducted at University College, London, by a team led by Professor Jane Wardle.
Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis British Journal of Sports Medicine 20 January 2015; doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-094157 [abstract]
Jackson et al. The influence of partner’s behaviour on health behaviour change in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: For better or for worse. JAMA Internal Medicine 19 January 2015
Tags: Fitness | Heart Health | UK News
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