Researchers have concluded that walking could be a cheap and easy way to prevent recurrence of back pain, as experiments have shown that patients who walk daily have a lower recurrence rate of back pain.
The British news agency “PA Media” reported that experts concluded that people who walk 5 times a week for 30 minutes, and receive guidance from a physical therapist, do not experience pain for twice as long as those who do not receive any assistance.
The researchers in the study, published in the Lancet, said that walking can have a “profound impact” on a health condition that affects 8 out of every 10 people in the United Kingdom, and is the leading cause of disability around the world.
Mark Hanock, professor of physical therapy at Macquarie University in Australia, said: “Walking is a low-cost, easy-to-do exercise that can be done by almost anyone, regardless of geographic location, age, and socioeconomic status.”
It is noteworthy that about 800 million people around the world suffer from lower back pain, and 7 out of every 10 people who recover from this pain suffer from it again every year.
“Walking not only improves people’s quality of life, but it also reduces their need for healthcare support and the amount of time they take from work by almost half,” said Natasha Bucovi, a researcher at Macquarie University.
She added, “Our study demonstrated that this is an effective and easy way to exercise that can be successfully applied on a larger scale compared to other forms of sports.”