Walk the Road for Rogmukt Bharat

Way walk when there a wheel?
One of the humanity's evolutionary concerns is: Why do humans walk
on two legs when we have four limbs, and our ‘ape’ friends seem to
get along well on all fours, so what makes walking on two legs better?
Or, if it's not better, why do we do it at all?
Researchers taught the five adult chimpanzees to walk on treadmills.
They walked upright on their hind legs and knucklewalked on all
fours. The chimps wore masks that tracked how much oxygen   they
used. The researchers also measured how much pressure was exerted
on the treadmill. This revealed which muscles  the animals were
using. The same measurements were taken for the four adult humans.
The walking tests showed that, the humans used 75 percent less
energy walking upright than the chimps used walking on all fours.
Essentially, walking upright seemed to be beneficial because it saved
energy. The experiment's results illustrate how energy expenditure
contributed to human evolution. However, in an advanced civilisation
conservation of energy is leading to many problems. The present
predicament is how to spend energy efficiently as the consumption
patterns and styles have undergone a metamorphosis. Thus, there is an
mismatch between energy consumed and energy expended leading to
a plethora of non-communicable diseases. These NCDs are sapping
money, time and efficiency of the person, family and society;
ultimately, the humanity as a whole. It is realised that to bring in
walking in to our life will address the above conundrum as the health
benefits narrated below can be accrued by this simple measure.
 Walking can help burn calories, thus can be a good measure for
tackling metabolic disorders including obesity.
 Walking at least 30 minutes, five days a week can reduce risk
for coronary heart disease by about 19%. Taking a short walk

after eating may help lower blood sugar. (Diabetes and cardio-
vascular diseases contribute to the major disease and death
burden)
 Walking can help protect the joints, including knees and hips.
That’s because it helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that
support the joints.
 Walking may reduce risk for developing a cold or the flu. Those
who walked at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes a day had
43% fewer sick days and fewer upper respiratory tract infections
overall.
 Walking boosts energy. Walking increases oxygen flow through
the body. It can also increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and
norepinephrine. Those are the happy hormones that help elevate
energy levels.
 Walking can help in mental health. It reduces anxiety,
depression, and negative mood swings. It can also boost self-
esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal.
 Walking at a faster pace could extend life. Researchers found that
walking at an average pace compared to a slow pace resulted in a
20% reduced risk of overall death.
 Walking can strengthen the muscles in legs.
 Walking may help clear head and help think creatively. A study
that included four experiments compared people trying to think of
new ideas while they were walking or sitting.
Gandhiji called walking as the king of physical exercises. It was
primarily those long walks, he said, “kept me practically free from
illness throughout my stay in England and gave me a fairly strong
body". According to the available records Gandhiji walked
approximately 18 km a day, i.e. 22,500 steps every day, for over 40
years. He had also covered a total of 79,000 km for his campaigns
between1913 to 1948. This is equivalent to walking around the Earth
twice, Earth’s circumference being 40,075 km!

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