Walk your way to better health

Can you walk your way to better health?  Is taking your dog for a walk every day good for your health?
Walking for Heart Health
According to an article in NPR, even moderate-intensity walking can be as effective as running in terms of reducing one’s risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  So many people think exercise has to be going to the gym, jogging, participating in a sport like basketball.  All these are great activities but going for a walk also has health benefits. The American Heart Association notes, “walking is one of the simplest ways to get active and stay active”.  The organization recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise like walking.  But it doesn’t have to be done all at once.  No time for a long walk, then “even 10-minute activity sessions can be added up over the week”.  
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition has some suggestions for adding more steps to your day

  •  Walk and Talk with a friend – instead of instant messaging or a phone call to keep up with friends, go for a walk together.  My daughter has a friend that she walks with each week to catch up and to get in a good walk. 
Walk With A Friend
  • Park Far Away – my car is always parked far from the entrance.  A former student stopped me recently and asked me, “Guess where I parked?”  I looked puzzled and he said, “Far away from the door. You taught us to park far away.” 
  • Walk At Your Kid’s Sporting Event – As your son or daughter is playing soccer, baseball, walk up and down the field and get some steps in.
  • Get Off the Bus or Subway Early – Walk the last few blocks to your destination
  • Take a Walk Break Instead of a Coffee Break – take a few minutes to walk outside – take your coffee or bottled water with you.
Take a Walk Break
  • Walk the Golf Course Instead Of Using A Cart – walk instead of ride.
Walk the Golf Course

Take your dog for a walk to improve your health
Have a dog?  Taking that dog for a walk not only can improve your dog’s health but also your physical and mental health. 
  •  Older adults who take their dog for a walk every day, walk about 22 minutes more a day than those who don’t take a dog on a daily outing.  According to a study done in Scotland.  And those who were walking a dog, usually kept a pretty good pace and walked briskly.  This helped get their heart rate up.
  •  Boosting Your Mental Health – according to Psychology Today, being outdoors, especially in parks or on trails, can boost your mood.  According to Linda Andrews, “..by taking your dog for a walk, you may be boosting your own health and happiness.”
  • Walking Your Dog Gets You Outside:  You get more fresh air and sun.  Along with sun comes vitamin D.  So many Americans are low in “D”.  If more Americans took their dogs for a walk every day, they would get more vitamin D in their day.
Ziggy enjoying the sun
Now that cooler weather is here, it is a great time to go for a walk.  And if you have a dog, the whole family can take the dog for a walk each day.

Sources:  NPR, American Heart Association, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, 22 minutes, Psychology Today  Image Source:  Walking

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 21, 2017 at 3:22 AM

    nice post... walking at early morning is very beneficial for our body. it makes us fresh and fitness.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffeine can lead to weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?   The Cleveland Clinic talked to cardiologist , Luke Laffin,
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to eating habits for better sleep:         Focus on tryptopha
Read more