Benefits of walking
Research has shown that the benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help you:
Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
Improve blood lipid profile
Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
Enhance mental well being
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
Reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes
SOURCE: American Heart Association
It can help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, lower your risk of obesity and enhance your mental well being.
It doesn’t cost a thing and you already, likely, do it every day.
It’s walking.
“Walking is great exercise, especially for those just starting out,” said Joseph Neel, Kettering Sports Medicine athletic trainer.
The American College of Sports Medicine recently joined forces with Every Body Walk! The Campaign to Get America Walking to raise awareness of the health benefits of walking.
“There’s no doubt that walking is a preferred public health strategy for the U.S. and worldwide,” said James R. Whitehead, CEO of the American College of Sports Medicine. “In fact, the United Nations has identified physical inactivity as a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases. ACSM is committed to improving health through science, education and medicine, and encouraging walking for its many benefits is central to who we are.”
Easy does it
You don’t need to spend hours on the walking trails or be breathless by the time you finish to reap the benefits of walking.
“Thirty minutes per day is a great starting point,” Neel said. “And even people who have busy, hectic schedules, could break it up into two 15-minute or, even, three 10-minute chunks. The biggest thing is, first, making sure you are healthy enough to do it.”
Neel suggests logging at least 2½ hours of moderate intensity exercise — like walking — a week.
In time, walkers can increase the intensity, length or pace of their walks for an added challenge.
“You can add intervals or walk up and down hills to change it up,” he said.
The “talk test” can help determine if you are walking at a moderate or vigorous pace. If you’re doing moderate-intensity activity you can talk, but not sing, during the activity. If you’re doing vigorous-intensity activity, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
In good company
Don’t want to do it solo? You can join or start your own walking group. Visit www.mywalkingclub.org/ and you can join the American Heart Association’s national network of walking clubs or start your own club with friends, family or neighbors.
Up and Running stores, in Dayton and Troy, have running and walking groups that meet weekly at both store locations (http://upandrunningindayton.com). Those up for more of a challenge can take a hike with the Dayton Hikers (www.meetup.com/DaytonHikers).
Walking with a buddy offers some big benefits.
“Accountability is a big thing,” Neel said. “You will be able to push each other to get out there and work a little harder.”
Need some extra motivation? Check out Everybody Walk! (http://everybodywalk.org/) and sign the online pledge to walk for your health. The organization’s Facebook page also has motivational tips and information.
Take a walk on the wild side
Logging step after step and mile after mile on the treadmill is sure to get more than a little boring.
A nice evening walk around the neighborhood or at a community park can be a good boredom buster.
Nearly all Five Rivers MetroParks include hiking and walking trails, and the variety of trails available means there’s a trek suitable for all fitness levels. Maps are available at http://metroparks.org/; simply click on the park you’d like to visit and check out the trails on the maps tab. Brochures with maps and information about the length of trails are available at informational kiosks in the parks.
Walkers can also check out the recreational trails map to see how they can explore more than 300 miles of paved trails for walking, or cycling, in the region. Visit www.miamivalleytrails.org for maps, pictures and trail information.
Map My Hike and Map My Walk are also great tools for measuring your walk on sidewalks and recreation trails and finding saved walks or hikes that others in the area have done before.
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