Reasons You Should Walk

Another Maine DOT newsletter from their health & wellness committee brought to you by my Dad.  Thanks for sharing Dad.  

Reasons You Should Walk

If there was something simple you could do every day that would burn calories, protect your heart and help you stay young, you’d do it – right? Well, good news. WALKING does all this and more! Here are the reasons you should get out there and hoof it, courtesy of Health magazine.  

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   It keeps you slimmer. According to a study from Duke University, walking just 30 minutes a day can prevent weight gain in most people who are otherwise physically inactive. If you have a desk job – that could be you!. Also, research found that women who walked for an hour Monday through Friday, and consumed 1,500 calories a day, lost and KEPT OFF 25 pounds over the course of a year. So why is walking so effective? Dr. Johnny Benjamin is chairman of the department of orthopedics at Indian River Medical Center. He says it works because it’s easy! The harder the exercise is, the less people will do it.

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 Walking is great for your heart. The researchers at Duke University also found that a daily half-hour walk also lowers your odds of developing “metabolic syndrome.” That’s refers to a cluster of risk factors linked to a higher incidence of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Don’t have time for a walk? Look for “long-cuts” in your daily routine. Park as far from your workplace as possible – or the grocery store, your doctor’s office, a dinner party and so on. If you get in an extra 3,000 to 5,000 steps, that’ll make up for your 30-minute walk.

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 It protects your bones. Walking just 90 minutes a week does wonders to prevent and treat thinning bones. That’s because it uses 95% of your muscles, which actually pushes your bones to get stronger so they can handle the load.