Step Up and Move More

By Ashley Clay, MSPAS, PA-C, Medcor Provider | Comments are Closed | 29 December, 2021 0

What activity has the potential to reduce your chances of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer¹? The answer is simple: MOVING MORE, i.e. a daily brisk walk has been proven to improve your overall health status. In addition to disease prevention, walking is attributed to better mood/sleep/memory, increased bone and muscle strength, and stress reduction. For each hour a person spends walking briskly they have the potential to increase their life expectancy by two hours!²

Did you know – walking an extra 20-minutes per day will burn an average of 7 pounds of body fat per year³? What is stopping you from stepping up and moving more?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends moderate-intensity activity 2.5 hours per week for most adults.⁴,⁵ One way to achieve that goal would be to briskly walk 30-minutes per day five days per week. A few ways to increase your physical activity include:

Parking further from doors/entryways
- Including places such as work, grocery stores, school
Schedule lunchtime walks in your work calendar
- Pack a healthy lunch to further promote healthy lifestyle habits
Keep shoes, clothes in your car to eliminate excuses of not having gear when an opportunity to exercise presents itself
Join a walking group
- During colder weather, shopping malls will often offer these programs
Take your pet for a walk
Use the stairs instead of the elevator
Hold walking work meetings
Get active as a family
Try this quick 10-minute home workout

More Americans walk for fitness than run² and experts agree that every step counts. Below are 7 tips from the AHA on how to walk for fitness².

Pace yourself
- If you are new to working out, start slow and go at a pace that is comfortable to you—you will gradually be able to increase time and distance
Form matters
- Avoid texting and walking – keep your head lifted, engage your abdominal muscles, and relax your shoulders
- Your stride should be natural while swinging your arms
  - Avoid carrying heavy objects; opt for a backpack instead
- Breath
  - When walking you should be able to comfortably talk or catch your breath easily – if you’re having difficulties, slow down and focus on breathing
- Increase your speed
  - After you have warmed up your muscles, pick up the pace
    - If you are just beginning to exercise and walk – forget about speed and focus on the fact you’re moving more
  - Add variety to your routine
    - Consider intervals of brisk walking, walk quickly for one block and a slower pace for two blocks; changing up your routine keeps you interested and motivated
      - Shorten recovery periods
    - Challenge yourself
      - Once you have increased your speed, add hills or stairs to the mix
    - Stretch
      - End your walk by stretching out your hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, and back for 15-30 seconds each
    - Track progress
      - Schedule time to walk – this may mean three shorter walks per day or one long walk
        
        Your goal should be 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week
        
        Download apps or join groups to stay motivated and track progress towards personal or group goals

This article is for educational purposes and not intended to diagnose or treat any condition or to give medical advice. Always consult your primary care provider for healthcare instructions. External links are provided as references and do not indicate an endorsement by Medcor. External links are subject to other sites’ terms of use and privacy policies.