You may want to pace up while walking to avoid arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats, which mean the heart’s electrical signals are not travelling properly. A new study in the British Medical Journal Heart shows that brisk walking may be a safe and effective exercise to reduce heart rhythm abnormalities, especially among higher-risk groups, and prevent sudden cardiac arrests.
Researchers looked at the impact of different walking speeds on 4,20,925 participants from the UK Biobank over 13 years. A slow pace was walking at less than 4.8 km per hour, a steady or average pace was between 4.8 to 6.4 km per hour per hour and a brisk pace was more than 6.4 km per hour. Average age was 55 years and more than half were women. More time spent walking at an average or brisk pace was associated with a 35% to 43% per cent lower risk compared to walking slowly.
How brisk walking is a workout for the heart
Prof K Srinath Reddy, professor at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), explains that our heart rate begins to slow down as we age but brisk walking can keep the heart young. “It signals to the brain that the person is fit and functional, not frail and feeble. So all the control mechanisms strive to keep the heart well behaved to serve both body and brain without faltering in its beat,” Dr Reddy says.
Explaining the science, Dr Reddy says the heart beat usually originates in the upper chambers of the heart (atria), initiated by an electrical current generated by a cluster of muscle fibres called the sino-atrial node. “From there it spreads in an orderly fashion to the lower chambers (ventricles). When this node is sluggish, abnormal rhythms can originate. Brisk walking keeps this node well charged and prevents harmful escape rhythms,” Dr Reddy said.
‘Walking is very accessible’
Prof Jill Pell, Henry Mechan Professor of Public Health, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, and lead author of the study, says, “While we can give people with arrhythmias procedures or long-term medicines, it is preferable to prevent them from developing arrhythmias in the first place. Walking is very accessible. You do not need to spend money on gym membership or equipment. You just need to walk out of your front door and keep going,” she says.
Why is this study significant?
Limited studies investigate the relationship between walking pace and arrhythmia. Dr Vijay Natarajan, Director of Surgical Services at Bharati Hospital, Pune, feels that the study lends credence to walking as a good cardiovascular exercise that can add to the preventive routine of keeping blood sugar and cholesterol in control.
The protective effects of steady and brisk walking were strongest in women, those under 60, those living with high blood pressure or two or more chronic health conditions and those not overweight.
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Brisk walking has other positive effects like reducing inflammation, blood pressure, body weight, abdominal fat and prevents damage to blood vessels. It also reduces anxiety and emotional stress that can trigger arrhythmias, adds Dr Reddy.
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