“Walking is man’s best medicine.” -Hippocrates

There’s a wealth of research to prove that walking is good for you. The results are impressive: major reductions in diabetes and heart disease, decreases in high blood pressure, increases in bone density, and more all with regular walking.

According to Richard Weil, Med, CDE and William C Shiel Jr., ND, FACP, FACR, here are some of their findings:

1. Walking prevents type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.

2. Walking strengthens your heart if you’re male. In one study, mortality rates among retired men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice that among those who walked more than two miles per day. If you are female, Women in the Nurse’s Health Study (72,488 female nurses) who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared with women who did not walk.

3. Walking is good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!

4. Walking is good for your bones. Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.

5. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47%. 6. Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer. Women who performed the equivalent of one hour and 15 minutes to two and a half hours per week of brisk walking had an 18% decreased risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer, and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality.

7. Walking improves fitness. Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness.

8. Walking in short bouts improves fitness, too! A study of sedentary women showed that short bouts of brisk walking (three 10-minute walks per day) resulted in similar improvements in fitness and were at least as effective in decreasing body fatness as long bouts (one 30-minute walk per day).

9. Walking improves physical function. Research shows that walking improves fitness and physical function and prevents physical disability in older persons.

Some of the Walking Site http://www.thewalkingsite.com/ Categories includes:

• Beginners
• Stretching
• Motivation
• Clubs & Groups
• And Much More.

More information on wellness can be found on my wellness blog.

Your wellness friend,

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Movement or moderate exercise has many benefits:

• Controls weight
• Makes you feel happier – elevates your mood and makes you feel more resilient to cope with the stresses of life • Gives you more energy
• Gives you more self-confidence and a general sense of well-being
• You can move more easily and with less pain, as your joints are healthier • Improves your heart function – lowers your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides
• Lowers blood sugar
• Increases bone density so there is less risk of osteoporosis and fractures
• And much, much, much more

There are three components of exercise: cardio, flexibility and strength. A program of these exercises consists of frequency, intensity, time and type. Frequency two to five times per week; intensity, you should be able to talk or sing while you are doing it; time 30-60 minutes per session; and types are many – walking, swimming, dancing, tennis, weight training, yoga, Tai Chi, etc. Some principles to follow are: Listen to your body; have fun; be consistent; be flexible; include your core, part around you navel; and make movement part of your daily routine.

Here is one program from Ed Foreman’s CD, “Fully Alive, Fully Human”. Do these movement easy and just do as much as you comfortably can.

Stretching (flexibility)

1. Neck rotation 10 rotation to left and 10 to the right
2. Body rotation 10 rotation to left and 10 to the right
3. Touch toes, take deep breath and exhale then touch your toes 10 times
4. Side bends, take a deep breath bending to the left and exhale when you straighten up repeat to the left, alternate each 10 times
5. Moderate knee bends 10 times
6. Lean against door frame. Grab your right foot and bend backwards to touch your backside, then the left foot 10 times. Go easy

Core Exercise (Lying on your back)

1. Draw your knees to your chest with hands around your knees, straighten out. Repeat 10 times
2. Start on your back and touch your right hand to you left toe and left hand to right toe 10 times
3. On your back touch your right elbow to your left knee and left elbow to right knee 10 times
4. Alternate raising left leg 90 degrees and then the right leg 10 times
5. Lie on your side and raise leg up 10 times, turn on other side an raise leg up 10 times
6. Modified sit ups. Put hand behind head and touch you elbows to your knee 10 times

Cardio – Do one for about 30 minutes

1. Walk
2. Cycle
3. Swim
4. Tennis
5. Cross country skiing, etc
6. Cool down

There are more to come on movements.

Your wellness friend,