Daily Walk In Green Area Safeguards Brain & Heart Health, Overall Body

ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :An APP feature By Seema Mir A daily walk for at least 30 minutes in a green area like a park or on a trail does wonders for body in general and for brain and heart in particular.

Walking is a powerful mood medicine that safeguards brain health and sharpens memory. Medical specialists are of the view that just 12 minutes of walk in a green area increases joviality,vigor,attentiveness and self-confidence as compared with the same time spent in sitting.

Medical practitioner Dr. Saima Razak laying emphasis on the importance of walk said it was a physical activity in the open and had its own merits. She further said, "Walk reduces depression,boosts self-esteem and improves overall body functions." According to Medical experts,while walking, breathing in cooler air can help regulate and even lower the temperature of brain and a cool brain is more pleasurable to body and mind than a warm brain.

Moreover, deep breathing exercise in open aid some of the systems of body which are harmed by stress. Further, these exercises can reduce blood pressure and may even be able to change the expression of genes.

According to psychiatrists, a daily walk for at least 30 minutes prompts the body to release hormones endorphins which reduce perception of pain and also trigger a positive feeling in the body. This positive feeling ,they say is good for over all well being of the body in general and for heart and brain in particular thus endorsing the popular saying that a healthy body has a healthy mind.

According to scientific studies the consumption of volume of oxygen (VO2) by the body for regular functioning of its parts is essential because more the volume of oxygen consumed by the body,the more perfectly its parts work.

It merits a mention here that highly oxidative organs such as the heart has a high demand for oxygen and therefore has a relatively high oxygen consumption. Similarly, the brain consumes about 25 percent of a person's oxygen intake.

, consultant physician and Chest Specialist Dr.

Zaheer Ahmed told APP that a brisk walk for 30 to 45 minutes daily in a park or along roadside in the morning was best for staying healthy. He, however, cautioned that a heart patient should go for a walk after consultation with his doctor.

Symptoms of heart disease as pointed by Dr. Zaheer were: -Tiredness after walking a lilttle bit. -A rapid heart beat after going upstairs. -Congestion in the chest or chest pain after a brisk walk.

Dr. Zaheer advised that anybody having the above mentioned symptoms should immediately consult a doctor. When asked what should be the diet to prevent heart diseases he stressed that it should be very simple based on vegetables,fruits and fruit juices.

"Too much red meat should not be used; only once a week or once a month it should be taken ." Dr. Zaheer advised that white meat and fish should be preferred. The use of salt and oil, he said, should be minimal.

Reportedly,a French cyclist continued to chase records at the age of 105 by biking 14 around a track in an hour.Robert Marchand completed 92 laps within an hour in front of hundreds of fans at the velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in france.

Merchand has set multiple cycling records in the over-100s category,including traveling 16 miles in an hour at the age of 102,and a new over-105s category to accomodate his new achievement. According to doctors Merchand's VO2 maximum oxygen consumption is the same as a man of half his age who doesn't do any sports.

Different medical practitioners while talking to APP recommended daily walk for 30 minutes to make body healthier. The medical experts observed that people in communities with abundant green space generally enjoy better health.

Three golden rules to stay away from diseases as advised by medical expert were: -Regular walk -Simple food (Maximum consumption of fruits and vegetables) -No heavy diet. APP/smr (APP Feature Service)