每天坚持步行的好处
The Life Changing Power of a Daily Walking Habit
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Go to any city or town anywhere in the world and you’ll find people walking around. Only you know where you’re going, but do you know what’s happening to your body and mind when you walk around? Chances are you don’t, at least not to the fullest extent.
Of course, there’s a difference between walking to a destination and just going for a daily walk. You’re more likely to feel the benefits if you’re not looking at a watch every two minutes. Even so, the physical and mental advantages are there.
Walking is often disregarded, not just as a valid form of exercise, but as a form of self-care. It’s a way of keeping yourself active in spite of knee and ankle problems. You can bask in the sun ― a blessing when travel in cities is mostly conducted by buses and underground tube lines. The benefits are nearly endless, so here are a few.
The Physical Benefits
When you think of exercise, you likely think of running, cycling, or perhaps weightlifting. Walking can be just as good.
The physical benefits are almost endless. Upon comparing the results of the recent National Runners and Walkers Health studies, researchers were able to find that energy expended in moderate intensity walking and high-intensity running resulted in comparatively similar rates of reduction in risk of potential life-threatening issues such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease over a six-year period.
If you just want to stay active and healthy, moderate-intensity walking will get the job done ― as long as you expend the same amount of energy, of course.
The physical, potentially life-saving benefits of a daily walk don’t stop there, however. Past studies have shown it can lower your risk of death by a massive 39% when compared against no leisure-time physical activity, as problems such as strokes become less likely among men and women.
Of course, these are more long-term benefits of a daily walk. If you’re looking to turn it into a habit, it’s wise to take a look at the short-term advantages. For starters, with each passing day, you’ll begin to feel fitter as your cardiovascular system improves. This can lead to more, longer-lasting energy. Then there’s the views ― a daily dose of nature helps you become more acquainted with your area while also forcing you away from a screen, a rare thing in modern times.
The Mental Benefits
When you think of walking, you think of the physical act of putting one foot in front of the other, eating up the ground and taking in the views. However, the mental benefits are just as, if not more immediately prevalent. For example, a study from Stanford University found that walking boosts creative output by an average of 60%. According to the researchers, “Walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activity.” This is a process they call “divergent thinking,” a thought process that produces creative ideas through various different solutions.
Put simply, a daily walk can help remove the mental block and offer new ideas and perspectives. After all, psychologists have found that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout for relieving anxiety.
As you’d expect, a daily walk does a lot more than just promoting creativity. It also acts as a mood booster, as one study found that a mere 12 minutes of walking resulted in a valuable increase in traits such as self-confidence and attentiveness. Your environment matters, too, as walking in nature is known to reduce over-thinking about negative experiences ― something we humans are all too familiar with. As a result, you decrease the risk of depression.
Of course, a daily walk is unlikely to completely alleviate mental wellness issues such as anxiety and depression. It will, however, be a literal step in the right direction. In these instances, it’s important to put one foot in front of the other, taking each day ― and each walk ― one step at a time.
The Surprising Benefits
An article from Harvard Medical School goes beyond the most obvious benefits of a daily walk, instead, explaining the lesser-known advantages to your life. Here are some of the best ones:
1. As expected, Harvard researchers dove into the science behind walking. By looking at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people, researchers attempted to determine how much said genes contribute to body weight. They found that among those who took an hour-long brisk walk every day, the effects of the weight-promoting genes were cut in half. In conclusion, consistent, purposeful walking is a great tool for weight control.
2. Harvard use research from the University of Exeter which found that a small, 15-minute walk helps curb cravings for sweet items such as chocolate. It can even reduce the amount you eat in high-stress situations. So, not only do you get some exercise and fresh air, you can save money and your sweet tooth.
3. It helps ease joint pain, as several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain. Moreover, walking five-six miles a week goes some way to preventing arthritis from ever taking place. More specifically, daily walking protects the knees and hips.
4. It boosts your immune system. While risking the cold of winter on a walk doesn’t always seem like the most inviting idea, it helps protect you during the cold and flu season. A study proved this by assessing over 1,000 men and women, finding that among those who walked for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, 43% took less sick days compared with those who exercised once a week or less.
Put it this way, a daily walk has benefits you’ll immediately see, and some you won’t. The mixture of short and long-term advantages is perhaps the best part. The immediacy of the short-term, such as feeling more creative and curbing a sweet tooth, coupled with the longevity of things like increased immune system and easing joint pain, helps make this form of exercise the easiest and most attainable of them all.
In short, walking has too many benefits to list.
So, there you have it. Daily walking has various benefits, a lot of which depend on how often and how long you walk for. Where a 15-minute daily walk will help curb your cravings, it’s unlikely to have as dramatic an effect on weight-promoting genes as an hour-long walk. But the point still stands, a daily walk will have both short- and long-term benefits to your mental and physical wellbeing.
There are so many advantages to a daily walk, you’d be forgiven for forgetting some. To save you the trouble of scrubbing along this video, here’s a summary of the best:
l Reduces the risk of life-threatening issues such as blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease.
l Increases your creative output by as much as 60%, as it frees up space in your mind by putting yourself in different situations.
l If out in nature particularly, a daily walk helps decrease the amount you think about negative experiences.
l It boosts your immune system, as a study found that a daily walk led to 43% less sick days among the 1,000-strong participants.
l Acts as an anxiety tonic, as researchers concluded, a 10-minute walk is as good as a 45-minute workout.
As this video has touched on, the balance between the two, as well as the combined physical and mental benefits make walking the peak all-rounder of the exercise world. Moreover, you likely do it most days anyway, whether you’re walking to the shops or catching a train. The only difference here? Choosing to do it for yourself, instead of viewing it as going from point A to B.
How, where, when, and why you walk will be different for everyone. One thing is certain, though: A daily walk will make your life better in some shape or form. If you can, walk in nature, as not only will you think less about negative experiences, you’ll be more inclined to do it the next day.
If anything, it gives you a chance to get outside and take in some fresh air every day ― something that is missing in the ever-more technology-focused world.
VOCABULARY
1. cardiovascular adj. (medical 医) connected with the heart and the blood vessels (= the tubes that carry blood around the body) 心血管的
2. alleviate v. to make sth. less severe 减轻；缓和；缓解。例如：to alleviate suffering 减轻苦难
3. curb v. to control or limit sth., especially sth. bad 控制，抑制，限定，约束（不好的事物）。例如：He needs to learn to curb his temper. 他得学着控制自己的脾气。
4. scrub v. (informal) to scrub in video or audio files means moving a slider along the timeline back and forth in order to get the needed point right away 前后滑动（视频进度条）
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What is the author’s opinion on walking?
A) Walking is not a valid form of exercise.
B) Walking is only beneficial if done for a certain amount of time.
C) Walking is a form of self-care and has physical and mental advantages.
D) Walking is only suitable for people with knee and ankle problems.
2. What did researchers find in comparing the National Runners and Walkers Health studies?
A) Walking is not as good as running for reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
B) Walking and running have similar effects on reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
C) Running is better than walking for reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
D) Walking can only reduce the risk of certain life-threatening issues.
3. What is one of the short-term advantages of a daily walk?
A) It can lead to more, longer-lasting energy.
B) It helps you become more acquainted with your area.
C) It can lower your risk of death by 39%.
D) It has no short-term advantages.
4. What is the process called that produces creative ideas through various different solutions?
A) Mental block.
B) Divergent thinking.
C) Physical activity.
D) Negative experiences.
5. What is one of the mental benefits of walking in nature?
A) It can reduce over-thinking about negative experiences.
B) It can boost creative output by 60%.
C) It can alleviate mental wellness issues completely.
D) It can result in a valuable increase in self-confidence.
6. What did Harvard researchers find about the effects of walking on obesity-promoting genes?
A) Walking can completely eliminate the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
B) Walking can reduce the effects of obesity-promoting genes by half.
C) Walking has no effect on obesity-promoting genes.
D) Walking can increase the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
7. What is the benefit of walking for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, according to the article?
A) It can reduce the risk of arthritis.
B) It can protect you during the cold and flu season.
C) It can help curb cravings for sweet items.
D) It can decrease the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
8. What is the immediate benefit of a 15-minute daily walk?
A) Reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
B) Increasing creative output by 60%.
C) Curbing cravings for sweet items.
D) Boosting the immune system.
9. According to a study, how much less sick days do participants have with a daily walk?
A) 43%.
B) 60%.
C) 15 minutes.
D) 1 hour.
10. What is the conclusion of researchers about the effect of a 10-minute walk?
A) It is as good as a 45-minute workout for weight loss.
B) It increases creative output by 60%.
C) It decreases the amount of negative experiences.
D) It boosts the immune system.
11. What is the main advantage of daily walking?
A) It has both short-term and long-term benefits.
B) It can eliminate the effects of weight-promoting genes.
C) It can increase creative output by 60%.
D) It can reduce negative experiences.
KEY
1. What is the author’s opinion on walking?
A) Walking is not a valid form of exercise.
B) Walking is only beneficial if done for a certain amount of time.
C) Walking is a form of self-care and has physical and mental advantages.
D) Walking is only suitable for people with knee and ankle problems.
【答案】C
【解析】推理题。文章中提到，很多人没有把步行当作一种有效的锻炼方式，但实际上步行不仅可以让我们保持活跃，还可以带来身体和心理上的好处。因此，答案是C选项。注意：题目中要求考生理解作者的观点，而不是文章的细节。选项A和D都是错误的，因为文章中并没有提到这些内容。选项B也不正确，因为文章中并没有明确说明只有步行一段时间才有益处。
2. What did researchers find in comparing the National Runners and Walkers Health studies?
A) Walking is not as good as running for reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
B) Walking and running have similar effects on reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
C) Running is better than walking for reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
D) Walking can only reduce the risk of certain life-threatening issues.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章提到，研究人员比较了最近全国跑步者和步行者健康研究的结果，发现在六年的时间内，中等强度的步行和高强度的跑步消耗的能量相当，对于降低威胁生命的潜在问题（如高胆固醇、高血压、糖尿病和心脏疾病）的风险也有相似的效果。因此，答案是B选项。
3. What is one of the short-term advantages of a daily walk?
A) It can lead to more, longer-lasting energy.
B) It helps you become more acquainted with your area.
C) It can lower your risk of death by 39%.
D) It has no short-term advantages.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题。文章提到，每天散步带来的短期好处就是它可以让你感到更健康，因为你的心血管系统得到了改善，这可以带来更多、更持久的能量。因此，答案是A选项。
4. What is the process called that produces creative ideas through various different solutions?
A) Mental block.
B) Divergent thinking.
C) Physical activity.
D) Negative experiences.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章提到，斯坦福大学的一项研究发现，步行平均可以提高60%的创造力。研究人员称，“步行可以开启思维的自由流动，是增加创造力和身体活动的简单且强大的解决方案。”这个过程被称为“发散性思维”，通过各种不同的解决方案产生创意。因此，答案是B选项。
5. What is one of the mental benefits of walking in nature?
A) It can reduce over-thinking about negative experiences.
B) It can boost creative output by 60%.
C) It can alleviate mental wellness issues completely.
D) It can result in a valuable increase in self-confidence.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题。文章提到，在大自然里散步也有益于心理健康，因为它可以减少对负面经历的过度思考。因此，答案是A选项。
6. What did Harvard researchers find about the effects of walking on obesity-promoting genes?
A) Walking can completely eliminate the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
B) Walking can reduce the effects of obesity-promoting genes by half.
C) Walking has no effect on obesity-promoting genes.
D) Walking can increase the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章提到，哈佛大学的研究人员通过研究超过12000人中的32个肥胖相关基因，试图确定这些基因对体重的影响。他们发现，在每天进行一个小时的快步行走的人群中，肥胖相关基因的影响减少了一半。因此，答案是B选项。
7. What is the benefit of walking for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, according to the article?
A) It can reduce the risk of arthritis.
B) It can protect you during the cold and flu season.
C) It can help curb cravings for sweet items.
D) It can decrease the effects of obesity-promoting genes.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章提到，一项研究证明，每天走路20分钟，一周五天，可以保护你在感冒和流感季节期间不生病。研究人员对1000多名男女进行了评估，发现那些每天走路20分钟、一周五天的人，比那些每周锻炼一次或更少的人生病的次数少43%。因此，答案是B选项。
8. What is the immediate benefit of a 15-minute daily walk?
A) Reducing the risk of life-threatening issues.
B) Increasing creative output by 60%.
C) Curbing cravings for sweet items.
D) Boosting the immune system.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。文章提到，每天15分钟的步行可以帮助控制对甜食的渴望。因此，答案是C选项。
9. According to a study, how much less sick days do participants have with a daily walk?
A) 43%.
B) 60%.
C) 15 minutes.
D) 1 hour.
【答案】 A
【解析】细节题。文章提到一项研究发现，每天步行可以使1000名参与者的生病天数减少43%。因此，答案是A选项。
10. What is the conclusion of researchers about the effect of a 10-minute walk?
A) It is as good as a 45-minute workout for weight loss.
B) It increases creative output by 60%.
C) It decreases the amount of negative experiences.
D) It boosts the immune system.
【答案】A
【解析】推理题。文章提到，研究人员得出结论，每天10分钟的步行与45分钟的锻炼同样有效。因此，答案是A选项。
11. What is the main advantage of daily walking?
A) It has both short-term and long-term benefits.
B) It can eliminate the effects of weight-promoting genes.
C) It can increase creative output by 60%.
D) It can reduce negative experiences.
【答案】A
【解析】推理题。文章提到，每天步行的主要优势在于它具有短期和长期的双重好处。因此，答案是A选项。
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