Especially if your job is relatively sedentary, and you don’t regularly exercise.

 

Read the article and choose the right answer a)-d) to the questions below:

 

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/scientists-just-discovered-that-15-minute-walks-could-save-your-life

 

1. According to the study in JAMA Internal Medicine, how many steps per day were associated with a 41% lower mortality rate?
A. 2,000 steps
B. 4,400 steps
C. 7,000 steps
D. 10,000 steps

2. What happens when people average more than 4,400 steps per day?
A. Mortality rates stay the same
B. Mortality rates get even lower
C. Mortality rates increase
D. The benefits disappear after 5,000 steps

3. Increasing daily steps by 2,000 was shown to reduce the risk of:
A. Flu and asthma
B. Cancer only
C. Heart disease and diabetes
D. Depression only

4. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine study, people who take 15-minute continuous walks are:
A. Twice as likely to develop heart disease
B. More likely to gain weight
C. Not affected in health outcomes
D. Half as likely to develop heart disease

5. The author averages about how many steps per day?
A. 3,000
B. 5,000
C. 8,000
D. 12,000

6. According to the meta-analysis in The Lancet Public Health, the impact of additional daily steps begins to level off around:
A. 7,000 steps
B. 3,000 steps
C. 5,000 steps
D. 10,000 steps

7. What does the research suggest for people who cannot yet reach 7,000 steps a day?
A. They should wait until they can complete 7,000 steps
B. Only fast walking counts
C. It’s not worth walking unless the goal is reached
D. Small increases still provide significant health gains

8. A 15-minute fast walk is associated with approximately how much reduction in total mortality (according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine study)?
A. 5%
B. 10%
C. 20%
D. 40%

9. “Fast walking” is defined in the article as:
A. Fitness-related walking that increases heart and breathing rate
B. Walking at a pace where talking is impossible
C. Casual walking around the house
D. Any walking over 10,000 steps

10. The bottom-line recommendation of the article is that sedentary people should:
A. Only walk when they feel like it
B. Start taking a daily 15-minute walk
C. Train for long-distance running
D. Focus only on step count, not walking duration

 

Key: 1B; 2B; 3C; 4D; 5C; 6A; 7D; 8C; 9A; 10B

 

Glossary

 

• sedentary – spending a lot of time sitting or not being physically active
• mortality – the state of being subject to death; the number of deaths in a population over a certain period
• longevity – the length of a person’s life; long life or duration of existence
• scattered – spread out over a wide area or occurring in various places; not in one concentrated location
• to taper off – to become gradually less in number, amount, degree, etc.
• incremental – happening gradually, in a series of small amounts
• to double-dip – to gain two benefits from a single action or opportunity
• obesity – a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat that may negatively affect health

 

Practice makes perfect

Watch the video and complete the gaps with missing words:

 

(0:40) Few people have the time or desire to walk such extreme 1. ………. . However, research shows that adding even a 2. ………. amount of walking to your daily routine can dramatically improve your health.

So, what exactly happens to your body when you increase your daily step count? A single afternoon 3. ………. can improve your mood and ease symptoms of 4. ……….. and depression. Walking, especially at a 5. ……….. pace, is thought to trigger the release of pain-believing endorphins and 6. ……….. the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Within weeks of adding more steps to your routine, your body adapts.

While it may seem simple, walking requires the coordination and effort of many muscles in your legs, torso, and back. To keep up with the increase in energy demand, the 7. ……….. around these muscles are remodelled to deliver more oxygen. At the same time, your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood.

In a few months, these changes can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack and 8. …………. Carrying the weight of your body as you walk places stress on the bones. But this stress actually makes the bones stronger, as it stimulates the absorption of calcium and minerals.

That’s why years of consistent walking can help retain bone 9. ….……., which usually declines with age. Building a lifelong walking habit comes with many other benefits, from aiding in weight management to reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes, numerous cancers, and dementia. Simply put, walking is exercise.

And unlike other forms, it doesn’t require equipment and is often more accessible to people of varying ages and fitness levels. While activity trackers usually build 10,000 steps as the ideal benchmark, studies show that any increase in steps per day can 10. ………… health benefits. And these steps don’t need to be taken continuously.  (…)

 

 

Key: 1. lengths; 2. modest; 3. stroll; 4. anxiety; 5. brisk; 6. curb; 7. vessels; 8. stroke; 9. density; 10. yield

 

Discuss

 

• Do you think the 10,000-step target is realistic or necessary for most people? Why or why not?
• Many jobs are sedentary. How might small changes, like a 15-minute brisk walk, affect health outcomes for people with desk jobs?
• Can you think of practical ways to incorporate these walks into a busy workday?
• Have you noticed differences in your own energy or focus after brisk walks versus scattered, slower steps?
• Would you prioritize walking for mental wellness even if it didn’t dramatically change your longevity?
• How many steps do you average daily? How could you realistically increase this number?
• What barriers prevent people from walking more, and how might they be overcome?

Watch and Revise!

 

15-Minute Walks 

Your Secret to a Longer Life

https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/Wj293N6WNM9X8iK

 

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