What activity has the potential to reduce your chances of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer1? The answer is simple: MOVING MORE, i.e. a daily brisk walk has been proven to improve your overall health status. In addition to disease prevention, walking is attributed to better mood/sleep/memory, increased bone and muscle strength, and stress reduction. For each hour a person spends walking briskly they have the potential to increase their life expectancy by two hours!2
Did you know – walking an extra 20-minutes per day will burn an average of 7 pounds of body fat per year3? What is stopping you from stepping up and moving more?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends moderate-intensity activity 2.5 hours per week for most adults.4,5 One way to achieve that goal would be to briskly walk 30-minutes per day five days per week. A few ways to increase your physical activity include:
- Parking further from doors/entryways
- Including places such as work, grocery stores, school
- Schedule lunchtime walks in your work calendar
- Pack a healthy lunch to further promote healthy lifestyle habits
- Keep shoes, clothes in your car to eliminate excuses of not having gear when an opportunity to exercise presents itself
- Join a walking group
- During colder weather, shopping malls will often offer these programs
- Take your pet for a walk
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator
- Hold walking work meetings
- Get active as a family
- Try this quick 10-minute home workout
More Americans walk for fitness than run2 and experts agree that every step counts. Below are 7 tips from the AHA on how to walk for fitness2.
- Pace yourself
- If you are new to working out, start slow and go at a pace that is comfortable to you—you will gradually be able to increase time and distance
- Form matters
- Avoid texting and walking – keep your head lifted, engage your abdominal muscles, and relax your shoulders
- Your stride should be natural while swinging your arms
- Avoid carrying heavy objects; opt for a backpack instead
- Breath
- When walking you should be able to comfortably talk or catch your breath easily – if you’re having difficulties, slow down and focus on breathing
- Increase your speed
- After you have warmed up your muscles, pick up the pace
- If you are just beginning to exercise and walk – forget about speed and focus on the fact you’re moving more
- Add variety to your routine
- Consider intervals of brisk walking, walk quickly for one block and a slower pace for two blocks; changing up your routine keeps you interested and motivated
- Shorten recovery periods
- Challenge yourself
- Once you have increased your speed, add hills or stairs to the mix
- Stretch
- End your walk by stretching out your hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, and back for 15-30 seconds each
- Track progress
- Schedule time to walk – this may mean three shorter walks per day or one long walk
- Your goal should be 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week
- Download apps or join groups to stay motivated and track progress towards personal or group goals
- Schedule time to walk – this may mean three shorter walks per day or one long walk
- Consider intervals of brisk walking, walk quickly for one block and a slower pace for two blocks; changing up your routine keeps you interested and motivated
- After you have warmed up your muscles, pick up the pace
This article is for educational purposes and not intended to diagnose or treat any condition or to give medical advice. Always consult your primary care provider for healthcare instructions. External links are provided as references and do not indicate an endorsement by Medcor. External links are subject to other sites’ terms of use and privacy policies.
References
[1] Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health
[2] Why is Walking the Most Popular Form of Exercise?
[3] 10 Fun Facts About Walking
[4] American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids
[5] Fit in Walking Morning, Noon or Night
