Walking for elders

I want to know if it is true that daily walking is good for elders.

Robert (by SMS)

For elderly people aged 70 to 80 years old, walking every day is essential, and quite possibly, the single most effective thing they can do to stay healthy. This activity influences all sorts of things, ranging from their ability to maintain proper balance to the health of their cardiovascular system.

Not engaging in it regularly leads to faster deterioration than necessary. Staying active helps add more productive years to one’s life. In this age group, the physical aspect of training needs to be addressed by regular exercise, but high intensity is not what people in their 70s and 80s can afford, at least not every day.

READ ALSO: Walking more reduces risk of death by 40 per cent, heart disease by 20% — Study

Walking fits perfectly, as it does not require special equipment and the more consistent a person is, the better it works. A person aged 75 who maintains the practice of walking regularly will undoubtedly perform better than sedentary peers at age 80. If one were to look into the recommended number of steps, between 6,000 and 8,000 would be the ideal range, as those who get that many live longer than others and the risk of early mortality is significantly lower than in less active people.

The thing that most individuals might not know is that even 4,500 steps are enough to make a difference – so perfection is not the goal here. Walking, therefore, should become an inevitable part of one’s routine if the person is over 70.