Home » Is it better to walk uphill and downhill or on flat paths after middle age?

Is it better to walk uphill and downhill or on flat paths after middle age?

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The most practiced physical activity currently among the over 50s is certainly walking. For many other types of sports it is in fact necessary to have more time available and often you have to spend a lot of money. Think about joining a gym, swimming pool, yoga, tennis, pilates or martial arts course. On the contrary, those who choose to devote themselves to the practice of walking do not have to invest large sums of money and are often limited to the purchase of suitable footwear. According to experts, here are the most comfortable shoes to buy with little money to walk 1 hour every day and fight back pain.

After all, the shoe is the only real specific tool that walking and running require. But not everyone can run due to spinal dysfunction or the presence of protusions and hernias or knee injuries. Unlike running which involves a flight phase before landing on the ground, walking has less impact on the joints and back.

But even when you choose to walk there are several questions that come to mind and that deserve to be answered. For example, one wonders if it is preferable to walk 3 quarters of an hour every day or more than 60 minutes 4 times a week. Or whether it is better to walk uphill and downhill or flat paths after middle age. And above all, how much time to invest to obtain important results in terms of weight loss. Should anyone who wants to shed abdominal fat and have a slimmer waist increase their workload? Our editorial team has already mentioned that it is useless to walk or run for many kilometers because in this way you burn more fat without using up precious energy.

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Is it better to walk uphill and downhill or on flat paths after middle age?

Sometimes even those who are used to walking 5/6 times a week and traveling long distances avoid uphill roads. Certainly walking uphill and facing the consequent descent involves more fatigue and you sweat more. Many prefer to lengthen the route rather than commit and climb up unevennesses. But tackling the climbs trains the quadriceps and allows for a higher calorie expenditure of about 3/5 calories per minute. Furthermore, recent studies have monitored the effects of walking on paths where descents and climbs alternate on some subjects with high blood sugar.

From the results of the research it emerged that those who walk uphill help their body metabolize both fat and blood sugars. After an uphill walk there were improvements in triglycerides, glucose tolerance and total cholesterol. On the contrary, no significant metabolic adaptations emerged following the downhill walk. Nonetheless, the researchers underline that, beyond the preferences of individuals, walking remains essential. In other words, both types of walking have positive effects on energy expenditure and favor the prevention of metabolic disorders.


(We remind you to carefully read the warnings regarding this article, which can be consulted WHO”)

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