Health & Wellness in June

Walking for Wellness

Walk it off. Believe it or not, walking is one of the easiest ways to get exercise and stay healthy.

Experts recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, brisk cycling, or yard work. It’s fine to walk in spurts of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week. Before you get started, talk with your doctor to make sure it’s okay for you to begin a walking program.

Brisk walking is aerobic exercise, which helps strengthen your heart, lungs and muscles. A strong heart carries more blood, along with oxygen and nutrients, to the rest of your body. Walking can help lower blood pressure, improve your mood and energy; and help you maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise also helps prevent anxiety and depression.

Walking is also a weight-bearing activity, meaning it works the muscles and bones against gravity, so it also helps reduce your risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.

Here are a few tips to get you started on a walking program:

• Start with a short-term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day. Or increase your number of steps by 300 to 500 each day.

• After you've made walking a habit, set a longer-term goal. You may want to set a goal of walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day or work up to 10,000 steps a day. You can try to do this 5 days a week or more.

• Regular testing greatly lowers your risk of dying from colon cancer.

• You can wear a pedometer to track your steps each day.

• To stay motivated, find a walking partner, such as a family member, friend, or coworker. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine.

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