The American Heart Association tagged April 6, 2011 as “Start Walking Day” Taking just 10 minutes three times a day to walk will help you live longer. In fact, studies show that just one hour of vigorous exercise will increase your life expectancy by two hours. The AHA goal is to get American’s off the couch and away from their desks and computers, to increase overall se physical activity.
Walking may help the overall aging process as well. With all of the expensive anti-aging products in stores today, from anti-wrinkle creams to supplements that promise ‘more energy’, walking is a free, reliable, and very effective anti-aging activity. According to the AHA, it has been shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour of regular exercise!
Consider these tips from the American Heart Association to get you started:
- Find a friend to walk with.
- Plan walking paths that are convenient for both of you, or map out routes that take you places you’ve never been before. Enjoy the birds and time to catch up!
- Do invest in decent shoes and socks Comfortable, properly fitted shoes are the only expense to walking and will help you avoid blisters and/or injury.
- Find time to walk for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Even doing three 10-minute walks during the day works.
- Your pace should be moderate to vigorous for best results (check with your doctor as to where you can safely begin)
- For weight loss, you will want to do moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity for 60–90 minutes daily
- To determine whether the activity is “moderate to vigorous”, take the “talk test”. It’s a simple way to measure intensity:
a) A person working out at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity.
b) Someone exercising at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity.
c) If a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous.
For more information go to http://www.startwalkingnow.org/about_start_walking_day.jsp and always check with your physician before beginning a new exercise program.
About the blogger: Rosanne Rust is a licensed, registered dietitian, nutrition coach and freelance writer. She is a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition Services® and the co-author of The Calorie Counter for Dummies®. Try the Mini Diet Makeover to find out if your diet is in balance by going to http://www.rosannerust.com/.
