Letters

Brisk walking helps mind and body

LETTERS: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought this fast-moving world to a standstill.

Staying home for prolonged periods and the prohibition on walking or jogging in public parks pose a challenge to be physically fit.

As a fitness freak and brisk walker, I do physical activity from 7am to 8am within my residential area to reduce stress and promote mental health.

Brisk walking improves cardiovascular fitness, helps to lose weight, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduces the risks of heart ailment, diabetes and cancer.

People must learn to let go of stress. A special report by the Harvard Medical School states that brisk walking can do more to combat diseases and health conditions.

For example, walking for 2½ hours a week, or about 22 minutes a day, may reduce the risk of heart diseases by an impressive 30 per cent.

Studies show that walking is a brain booster, which reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in elderly men.

It also reduces anxiety and enhances one's mood if one takes a walk in the natural environment.

C. Sathasivam Sitheravellu

Seremban, Negri Sembilan


The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

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