In talking with my brother about a group of new walkers he is mentoring I mentioned to him this post I blogged about in March of 2008. It's long but it has some good stuff in it.
This article from the Mayo Clinic website with my additions added in red.Benefits of walking. Walking for fitness can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. For example, you can:
Reduce your risk of a heart attack. Walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). A regular walking program also reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease. Can't say this has been true in my case.I take two different cholesterol medications. The doctor tried to reduce the dosage after a year of walking and good tests but my cholesterol and tryglceride readings shot up so I'm back on the old dosages.
Manage your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, walking may reduce it. Walking may have helped my blood pressure because it has been so low at times that instead of the two pills I take I only have to take one of them, this I do of course on the instructions of my doctor which include monitoring at home with a unit that measures blood pressure.
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you're a woman, overweight and at a high risk of diabetes, walking can improve your body's ability to process sugar (glucose tolerance). Walking has helped me in this instance for sure because the doctor said if I hadn't started a walking program and stuck with it that I would now be on diabetes medication. He also said that walking was better for me than any pill he could give me. He didn't say I would never get diabetes but that I was doing a good job of staving it off by making this change to my lifestyle.
Manage your weight. Walking burns calories, which can help you manage your weight. For example, middle-aged women who walk more than 10,000 steps a day have lower levels of body fat than do women who are less active. Can't say that walking has affected my weight at all except for the recent 3 pound loss during my 'Hillary' activity and it might turn out that this weight loss is due to a malfunctioning thyroid rather than my physical activity. The jury is still out on this point for now.
Manage stress and boost your spirits. Going for a brisk walk is a great way to reduce stress. Regular walking also can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Sometimes I've cried and cried, usually when I'm trying to get myself up, dressed, and out the door. At times I've felt at peace while walking but not often because I find myself resenting the fact that I'm walking because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to.
Stay strong and active. As you get older, walking for physical fitness can prevent falls, help you stay mobile and maintain your independence. Staying fit can help you grow older more gracefully but lather on the sun screen and wear a cap or visor because your body might love the exercise but your skin will suffer if you don't.
Don't let falling off the exercse wagon make you feel like a failure and give up on your plan for better fitness. Use these tips to get back in the groove.
Think positively. Don't let negative self-talk, such as "I'm a failure," get in the way of starting again. Shrug it off as a temporary break in your walking program. Wish I could say this was one I followed but I'm not a real positive thinker. I am a plodder though and get the job done, even while grumbling about the unfairness of it all.
Re-evaluate your goals. If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week. I try and most often succeed in walking 5 days a week for at least an hour a day. 6 days a week was a bit too much for me and my right hip hurt. Cutting back corrected this problem.
Get going. Build walking into your schedule today. Just do it. Walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break. When I worked in I used my break time to get in a few minutes and the boss helped by giving me errands to do that involved walking and that worked until I retired and then I fell into not exercising at all. What got me back on track was the doctor telling me that I would get diabetes if I didn't do something sooner than later. So far my current plan is working fine. At least once a year I take part in a organized walk like the Texas Roundup.
Continually plan. If you're taking a trip or working overtime, think of strategies for incorporating short walks into your day to keep your plan on track. When we go visit our daughter in San Angelo I have a route I use in the neighborhood and when we go gamble I use the hotel gym to get a session in on the treadmill...if they have one. If not I take breaks from the one- arm-bandits and walk several times around the outer edge of the casino floor to get some movement into my day.
Hope you find these tips and information helpful. Now get out there and move it!!!
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