Walking reduces the risk of dementia and can cut stress/Healthy Reading by Gianni Murzi

There is much thinking and researching in the medical world about the number of steps one person ought to do daily. I am personally not militant about it, but I personally consider the number of steps, as reported by your pace counting device, this be an iPhone or other, a motivating goal. There is no doubt that walking is one of the best ways to maintain good health. It requires no special equipment, and many people continue walking well into old age or while living with a chronic health condition. Walking with others can be a rewarding social activity, and variations like weighted walking, Nordic walking, and even walking backward, have their own benefits.

Medical News Today,  reported on two new studies that highlight how walking helps us maintain a healthy mind. First, researchers found that walking around 4,000 steps per day may reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia by 25%, while walking 10,000 steps could halve it.

In the second study, researchers in Germany compared walking in nature to walking in an urban setting. Using brain imaging techniques, they found that people who walked in a forest displayed less stress, but those who walked through busy streets did not appear to experience any additional stress from doing so.

However, as one expert suggested, this could be because “the negative effects of the urban environment are canceling out the benefits of the exercise.” This said, for overstressed city dwellers, that would still be a net win for walking. 

My own recommendation: walk as much as you can!