Statistically speaking, a whopping 70 percent of all adult Americans live sedentary lifestyles. We spend more than $2.5 trillion annually on medical care, of which about 80 percent is spent treating chronic conditions. Many of these ailments can be prevented or treated by regular walking. With the new year upon us, we can surely think of plenty of reasons to start a walking program. Here’s five from our top ten list!
1. Walking is easy! For most of us, a brisk walk is the easiest and most efficient exercise we can do. “Walking is one of the simplest and easiest ways to get the exercise you need in order to be healthy—and almost anyone can do it,” reports Harvard Health Letter.1 “Hundreds of studies have documented its benefits.”
2. Walking boosts brain power! Evidence suggests that a walking regimen may improve brain function and minimize memory loss. Senior citizens who walk 6-9 miles per week are less likely to suffer from mental decline and dementia.2
Commenting on recent studies, Dr. Daniel Press,a neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center says, “It’s comparable to what we find with medication. In some ways, exercise is as good as any intervention we have in terms of helping people with mild memory loss from getting worse.” 3
A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience reveals walking at a moderate pace for 40 minutes three times a week enhances functional connectivity in the brain, improves cognition, and reduces the decline in brain function associated with aging. “Older adults,” researchers explained, “showed increased connectivity to become more like young adults.4
Additional data shows a direct correlation between walking speed and performance in tests assessing psychomotor speed and verbal fluency.5
3. Walking adds years to your life and life to your years! Did you know a 1 minute walk can add 1½ to 2 minutes to your life? Hmm. That alone does not seem very motivating. But, what if we were to do a 30-minute walk every single day? Would that bear greater significance on longevity? You bet it would!
A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 30-minute daily walk could add an average of 1.3 healthy years to your life. What’s more, individuals exercising at an intensity level of 65%-75% of their maximum may expect significant improvements in fitness by walking 3 or 4 days per week.
Likewise, those performing at 45% to 55% can obtain similar benefits by upping the ante’ to 5-7 days per week.6 Walking 20 to 25 minutes per week may extend your life by several years.7
4. Walking improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of heart disease! Perhaps one of the more promising findings was a piece published in Harvard Men’s Health Watch. Following an analysis of 18 “quality” observational studies, two scientists reported “walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events [in both men and women] by 31% and cut their risk of dying during the study period by 32%…Protection was evident even at distances of just 5.5 miles walked per week and at a pace as casual as about 2 miles per hour.”
The greatest benefits were noted in those who walked the longest and/or fastest.8 Unrelated research shows a brisk 30-minute walk done 5 days a week can slash the risk of heart disease in half!
5. Walking helps relieve stress and strain on the joints and muscles! Studies conducted by the Bigerontology Laboratory at Wisconsin’s Department of Preventative Medicine support the importance of physical activity in the prevention of bone mineral loss in middle-aged women.9
Frequent walking is particularly important for those afflicted with arthritis because it reduces joint swelling and helps alleviate pain. “Walking is the best exercise for the majority of arthritic persons,” claims noted geriatric author Dr. Janet McBarron. In her book, Clinic-D Program with JT Cooper, M.D., she states, “It not only reduces the intensity of the symptoms such as pain and swelling, but also the duration (length of time in hours or days) and the frequency of the symptoms.”10
That’s five reasons to start a walking program right now. Stay tuned to tomorrow’s edition of the Hollywood Health Letter online. And we’ll give you the other five to round out our top ten list of reasons to start a walking program for 2013.
References:
[1] “Talking of walking in three easy pieces” Harvard Health Letter. (2009) Aug. Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2011/March/talking-of-walking-in-three-easy-pieces
[2] “Walking: The Best Path to Fitness and Health” (2012). Retrieved July 24, 2012, fromhttp://www.everybodywalk.org/newsroom/240-walking-the-best-path-to-fitness-and-health
[3] “Walking and Brain Function” (2012). Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/BIDMCInteractive/TheWalkingClub/ResourcesforWalkers/WalkingBenefits/WalkingandBrainFunction.aspx
[4] Voss, M.W., et al. (2010). Plasticity of brain networks in a randomized intervention trial of exercise training in older adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2010.00032 Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.frontiersin.org/Aging_Neuroscience/10.3389/fnagi.2010.00032/full
[5] Foster PP, et al. (2011). Exercise-induced cognitive plasticity, implications for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Front. Neur. 2:28. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00028.
[6] Duncan GE, et al. (2005). Prescribing exercise at varied levels of intensity and frequency. Arch Intern Med.1652362-2369/
[7] “Health Benefits of Walking” (2011). Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.everybodywalk.org/newsroom.html
[8] “Walking your way to better health, from the Harvard Men’s Health Watch” Harvard Health Publications. 2009 Aug. Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/Walking-your-way-to-better-health
[9] Smith, E, et al. (1984). Bone involution decrease in exercising middle-aged women. Calcified Tissue International, 36:1.
[10] McBarron-Liberatore, J., Cooper, J.T. (1997). The Clinic-D program a healthful new way to lose weight –naturally.Erie, PA: Green Tree Press.
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