Step Ahead: What are the benefits of regular
exercise and some easy exercise options?
Discussion Points:
Exercise Your Option for Good Health!
We all know exercise promotes good health, but here’s
a question to test your fitness I.Q. Which condition in the following list
is either prevented or made better by a regular exercise program:
Heart disease
Breast cancer
Asthma
Arthritis
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Cataracts
High blood pressure
Depression
Osteoporosis
If your answer is ALL of these conditions, you’re right.
(Yes, there’s research to suggest regular exercise helps prevent or improve
them all, including some evidence to suggest that exercise can help prevent
cataracts – perhaps by improving blood circulation.)
The sad fact is that only about 15 percent of American
adults engage in regular vigorous physical activity three times a week
for at least 20 minutes.
So here’s another fitness quiz: what’s the number-one
exercise choice for Americans who ARE able to stick with a regular program?
Walking – the choice of nearly 70 million U.S. adults!
Walking is low-impact, non-jarring, does not require
practice or experience and can be a pleasant time for socializing or a
relaxing time by yourself. By walking for 30 minutes each day, you’ll begin
to notice the following benefits within two to three weeks:
A sense of well-being and uplifted mood
Improved ability to meet the demands of your daily
activities
Improved motor skills
Increased vitality and renewed sense of energy
Improved muscle tone in the shins, calves and thighs
In the longer term, regular walking can help you lose
weight and reduce your risk of heart disease. Research shows a half-hour
walk at your target heart rate range can lead to a slow, steady shedding
of 16 to 18 pounds per year. In addition, bone density can be increased
and maintained through regular walking – thus providing protection against
osteoporosis.
So how do you get started? Before beginning any exercise
program, you should check with your primary healthcare provider – particularly
if you’re over 40 or have any chronic health challenges. After that, all
you need is a pair of comfortable shoes, a safe route, and perhaps a watch
with a second hand you can use to monitor your heart rate.
You’ll be amazed at just how relaxing, rejuvenating
– and inspiring – walking can be. For, in the words of the great philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche, "Only those thoughts that come by walking have any
value."
