8 Reasons to Keep Walking

 1. Walking and Your Heart

In one study, death rates among retired men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice as high as those who walked over two miles.

Women in the Nurse’s Health Study (72,488 female nurses) who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared with women who did not walk.

 2. Walking and Type 2 Diabetes

The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking about 2 hours per week and losing about 12-15 pounds can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.

3. Walking and Your Brain

In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week.

A 1999 study of people over 60 found that walking 45 minutes a day at 16-minute mile pace increased the thinking skills of those over 60.

A  team of Researchers at the University of Illinois found that moderate exercise can increase the  brain size and functioning in older adults.

4. Walking and Your Bones

Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
 

5. Walking and Depression.

Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression by 47%.
 

6. Walking and Cancer

Women who walked between one hour and quater to two and a half hours per week  had an 18% lower risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Exercise has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, and the benefits of exercise increase the quality of life and reducing mortality for those with colon cancer.

7. Walking and Fitness: short or long walks it is your choice

Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness. A study of women with low levels of activity showed that short sessions of brisk walking (three 10-minute walks per day)  were at least as effective in decreasing body fatness as long sessions (one 30-minute walk per day).

8. Walking and Physical Impairment

Research shows that walking improves fitness and physical function and prevents physical disability in older persons.

Keep Walking

Music While Walking Helps You Walk Further

A study published in 2002 by Ohio State University researchers found that patients that listened to music while walking walked four more miles than the control group who didn’t listen to music while walking.

• Join an exercise class
• Take lessons
• Find a training partner

How much should you walk

Taking 10,000 steps in a day is a rough equivalent to the Surgeon General’s recommendation to accumulate 30 minutes of activity most days of the week.

Moderate level of physical activity, such as walking 30 minutes a day, lengthened life by 1.3 years and added 1.1 more years without cardiovascular disease, compared with those with low activity levels. Those who chose a high physical activity level gained 3.7 years of life and added 3.3 more years without cardiovascular disease.

Before Your Start

• Check with your doctor if you have a chronic medical condition or if you have had a recent injury.
• Invest in good shoes. 
  Look for a low, supportive heel that rounds (or bevels) in.

  A walker’s foot hits heel first and then rolls gradually from heel-to-toe. So, you will need a flexible sole and you should be able to twist and bend the toe area.

  Look for a shoe that is light weight and breathable. The last thing you want is the clunky heavy leather walking shoe

  Get the Right Fit

• Shoes should fit when you try them on without any areas of pinching or pressure that could cause blisters or calluses.
• Wear the type of socks you’ll wear when walking when you purchase your shoes.
• Be sure your foot has enough room in the toe. There should be a thumbnails width (or about a half inch) between your toes and the end of the shoe.
• Go shoe shopping at the end of the day or after your walk when your feet may be slightly swollen.
• Try on both shoes. Your feet may not be the same size

• Always warm up by walking at a slow or normal walking pace for five minutes before picking up the tempo of your workout.
• Use good walking posture. : Keep your head up, Keep your back straight and Swing your arms.

Remember walking is:

• Easy to participate

• Fun with friends

• No equipment needed

Stanley Colcombe, Arthur F. Kramer (2003); Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: A Meta-Analytic study; Psychological Science 14 (2), 125–130. 

Please let us know what you think about this post. No time to comment, Nothing in particular to say? Just click a star or stumble us

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Stumble Us