5 surprising benefits of walking 步行带来五大惊人福利
August 25, 2022 ，Harvard University
The next time you have a check-up, don't be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you've been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug," in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
下次你做体检时，如果你的医生给你开了要你走路的处方，不要感到惊讶。是的，用美国疾病控制和预防中心前主任托马斯·弗里登（Thomas Frieden）博士的话来说，你从大约一岁起就一直在做的这项简单活动现在被标榜为“最接近特效药的东西”。
Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here's a list of five that may surprise you.
当然，你可能知道很多体育活动，包括散步，都对你的整体健康有益。但尤其步行好处良多。这里有五个可能会让你惊讶的福利列表。
1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.
它消除了促进体重的基因的影响 。哈佛大学的研究人员对12,000多人中的32个肥胖基因进行了研究，以确定这些基因对体重的实际贡献。然后，他们发现，在每天快走约一小时的研究参与者中，这些基因的影响被削减了一半。
Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight inflammation and stay healthy -- from Harvard Medical School experts.
科学已经证明，慢性、低度炎症可以转化为无声的杀手，导致心血管疾病、癌症、2型糖尿病和其他疾病。你可以从哈佛医学院专家那里获得简单的对抗疾病和保持健康的秘诀。
2. It helps tame a sweet tooth . A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.
它有助于驯服甜食 。埃克塞特大学的一项研究发现，步行15分钟可以抑制人对巧克力的渴望，甚至可以减少你在紧张情况下摄入巧克力的量。最新研究证实，散步可以减少对各种含糖零食的渴望和摄入。
3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.
它可以降低患乳腺癌的风险 。研究人员已经知道，任何体育活动都会降低患乳腺癌的风险。但美国癌症协会的一项以步行为重点的研究发现，每周步行7小时或以上的女性患乳腺癌的风险比每周步行3小时或以下的女性低14%。即使是患有乳腺癌危险因素的女性，如超重或使用补充激素，走路也能提供这种保护。
4. It eases joint pain . Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.
它可以减轻关节疼痛。 几项研究发现，步行可以减轻关节炎相关的疼痛，每周步行五到六英里甚至可以从一开始就防止关节炎的形成。步行通过润滑关节和加强支撑关节的肌肉来保护关节，尤其是最容易患骨关节炎的膝盖和臀部。
5. It boosts immune function . Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.
散步能增强免疫功能 。在寒冷和流感季节，散步可以帮助保护你。一项针对1,000多名男性和女性的研究发现，每周至少5天，每天至少步行20分钟的人，患病天数比每周锻炼一次或更少的人少43%。如果他们真的生病了，患病时间更短，症状也更轻。
语言点透视：
- check-up 检查 ; 体格检查
- touted 标榜 ; 吹捧 ; 吹嘘 ; 兜售 ; 推销 ; 倒卖高价票，卖*市黑**票
- counteract *制抵** ; 抵消 ; 抵抗
- chronic 慢性的 ; 长期的 ; 难以治愈的 ; 长期患病的 ; 糟透的
- tame 驯服 ; 驯化 ; 使易于控制 ; 驯服的 ; 温顺的 ; 养驯的
- a variety of 各种各样的 ; 种种 ; 形形色色
- sugary 含糖的 ; 甜的 ; 甜腻腻的，媚人的 ; 甜言蜜语的
- blunts 使减弱 ; 使降低效应 ; 使变钝 ;
- zero in on 瞄准（目标）;向…移动;全神贯注于（问题或主题）
- supplemental 同 supplementary ; 增补性的 ; 补充性的 ; 额外的
- hormone 激素 ; 荷尔蒙
- most susceptible 易受影响 ; 敏感 ; 过敏 ; 好动感情的 ; 感情丰富
- osteoarthritis 骨关节炎
- lubricate 给…上润滑油 ; 上油于
哈佛大学官网2022年8月25日文章
跑起来，你会成为人生赢家--哈佛大学健康学院告诉你跑步的福利！