Walk more for greater health benefits



Everyone knows that walking is good for you.  New studies have show how good walking is for your overall health.  If a short walk is good, is a longer walk better?  How much walking does one have to do to improve health?

How much walking is needed to improve health?
Sedentary is bad, walking is good, is a new way to look at activity.  A sedentary person who only walks about 1,000 steps a day who ups it to 3,000 steps a day can improve their health.  A study published in PLOS One, and highlighted in More Steps a day keep the doctor away, found that the more steps you do the greater the health benefits.  But even increasing walking from 1000 t0 3000 steps a day resulted in a 12% lowered mortality risk.   Those who met the goal of walking 10,000 steps a day lowered their mortality risk a whopping 46%. 
They determined this by tracking 3,000 Australians, average age of 58, for over 15 years.  The study participants wore a pedometer to track daily steps. 
In the nutrition class I teach, I emphasize how changing little habits can have big health effects.  No time to go for a walk, then at least park your car as far from the entrance as you can.   Going to class, park far away.  Going to work, park far away.  Going shopping, your car should be parked off in the distance.   There are many ways to increase steps.  Take the stairs, not the elevator.  Instead of sending an email to a co-worker, go to their office or cubicle. 

What about speed walking?
No time for a long walk?  Then fit in a fast/slow walk.  Read more about walking at: Walking Workouts.   This Fitness magazine website offers a number of ways to alter the intensity and pace of your walk.  Put an App on your Smart Phone to track not only steps but also your speed.  Read about recommended Aps at:  8 Best Pedometer Applications for iPhone.

Sources:  PLOS One, More Steps a day keep the doctor away, Walking Workouts,  8 Best Pedometer Applications for iPhone, Image source: Walking


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stay Hydrated This Summer

Image
At long last, SUMMER!!    With the heat and humidity, we need to focus on staying hydrated.   Water is always a good choice for hydration.    MSN has an interesting article on  5 Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated This Summer .   Stay away from the sugar sweetened beverages loaded with sugar and calories.   Yes, enjoying some lemonade is fun but it is not a juice and it is loaded with added sugar.    What are some ways to stay hydrated?   How do you know you need hydration?   Thirst is the first sign of becoming dehydrated.   Your body is telling you to drink more fluids.   Eight cups is a good goal but you may need even more when exercising outside or being outside in the heat. Unsweetened Coffee – most people think coffee dehydrates you, but coffee is a fluid and can count towards your daily fluid intake.   And coffee can help you feel more alert and keep you energized.     Unsweetened Ice Tea – ic...
Read more

Get Ready for New Food Labels!

This week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced proposed changes in our food labels.    Major changes in the food labels appearing on everything from chips to soup haven’t changed much in 20 years.   So what are some of the proposed changes? Serving sizes – ever look at the serving size on ice cream.   It states one half cup is the serving size, yet who eats only one half cup?   In teaching my nutrition class, I show a video in which the dietitian notes the one half cup serving size on ice cream.   The students are always surprised it is so low.   When I told my husband, he insisted that one half cup was too low and went to the freezer to prove it.   Of course, the ice cream container verified that one half cup is the serving.   So one of the proposed food label changes is to increase the serving size on foods such as ice cream to reflect what people actually eat.   Thus, for ice cream the serving size will increase fro...
Read more

Easy food habits to adopt for a healthier you in 2023.

Image
So many people develop New Year’s Resolutions focusing on giving up things or on losing weight.   Why not focus on adopting some healthier habits in 2023 and some healthier lifestyle changes?   Last year I discussed some recommendation by a   nutritionist in London, Kate Llewellyn-Waters, on how you can adopt a healthier lifestyle.   Below are some of her easy-to- adopt suggestions and I have added some suggestions of my own. Protein at every meal – Protein is filling and helps stave off those hunger pains between meals.   What are some high quality protein foods?   All animal foods provide high quality protein.   Focus on lean proteins like chicken breasts.   Chicken and other lean meats, provide not only high-quality protein but also many nutrients like iron, zinc, selenium and many B vitamins.   B vitamins are known as the energy vitamins as they help your body produce the energy needed for all your activities.   A top-rated pro...
Read more