SCIENTISTS have shared the ideal walking pace to slash the risk of dangerous heart rhythm problems, while slimming down your waist and boosting weight loss.
is an abnormal heart rhythm that causes the organ to beat too quickly or too slowly,
A new study at a brisk pace “may be a safe and effective exercise to reduce arrhythmia”;.
Academics from the University of analysed data from 420,925 people from the UK Biobank who'd revealed their walking speed in questionnaires.
They defined a slow amble as less than three miles an hour, while an average pace was three to four miles an hour and a brisk clip was more than four miles an hour.
Some 221,664 people reported walking at an average pace, while 171,384 said they tended to walk quickly.
Over a period of 13 years, some 36,574 people developed heart rhythm problems.
Their conditions included (AF) – when the heart’s upper chambers beat irregularly and too fast – an abnormally slow heartbeat, and ventricular arrhythmias, when an abnormal heart rhythm starts in the lower chambers.
Heart rhythm problems can increase the risk of , , and if left untreated.
They happen when there’s a fault with the electrical system that makes the heart beat and can also be caused by conditions like high blood pressure, heart attacks, or some medicines or viruses.
Researchers found an average walking pace cut the risk of heart rhythm problems by 35 per, compared to slow walkers.
Meanwhile, a brisk pace lowered the risk arrhythmia by 43 per cent.
The risk of AF was slashed by almost half (46 per cent) among those who walked the fastest, the study found.
Participants who favoured speedwalking also had smaller waists and weighed less, researchers noted.
On top of this, they had better – a marker of healthy ageing – lower levels of and , and fewer long term conditions.
Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Heart, “reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace”; in exercise recommendations.
Some 81,956 participants also wore activity trackers, meaning researchers were able to see how long they spent walking at their usual pace.
Of these people, 4,117 went on to develop arrhythmias during the follow-up period.
Researchers found that at an average or brisk pace was linked to a 27 per cent lower risk of developing heart rhythm problems.
But they did note that this was an observational study – meaning authors couldn't say for certain that brisk walking lowered the risk of heart issues as they couldn't show cause and effect.
Researchers also acknowledge that part of the study relied on self reporting.
The team concluded: “This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias, and to provide evidence that metabolic and inflammatory factors may have a role: walking faster decreased the risk of and inflammation, which, in turn, reduced the risk of arrhythmia.”;
