The first Wednesday of April is National Walking Day, which is part of the American Heart Association's "My Heart. My Life" initiative, a nationwide call-to-action for Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle. These days, we live fairly sedentary lives. Adults are spending more time at work in front of computers, and children are spending more time than ever watching TV, playing video games or on their iPads.
As a result, we're becoming more inactive and this is having a detrimental impact on our health. But, we can reverse this trend. Taking just one 30-minute walk per day can have a tremendous impact on your health.
8 Ways a 30-Minute Walk Can Improve Your Health
Walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise that can also be the most effective. Research has shown that walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can lead to a host of health improvements including:
1) Lowering risk of obesity
2) Reducing stress
3) Improving blood pressure and blood sugar levels
4) Reducing risk of coronary heart disease
5) Reducing risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes
6) Reducing risk of osteoporosis
7) Reducing risk of breast and colon cancer
8) Enhancing overall well being
Ways to incorporate walking into your busy life
Ever feel like you don't have the time to exercise? Our daily schedules seem to be filled with work, meetings, carpools, errands, and household chores. Finding time to exercise can seem like just another task to add to an already busy list of things to do.
On the days when you don't have time to exercise, make these small changes throughout your day to incorporate more walking.
- Find a parking space further away from the entrance to the office, school, grocery store, etc.
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
- Use the restroom, copy machine, water fountain, break room, etc. that is furthest away from your work station
- Pace while waiting for a meeting, bus, or while talking on the phone
- Set an alarm to go off every hour or two and take a walk around the office, your home, or school (We have an alarm at our Previnex headquarters that goes off every hour and we do 20 pushups and 20 sit ups!)
- While watching TV, use commercial breaks to walk up and down the stairs in your home
- Keep a pair of sneakers in your car or office, so you always have the right shoes for a quick walk
Everyone has days where they are tight on time, but try using some of the above tips to get more steps in throughout the day. It will help you be more productive, you'll feel accomplished and it could have an amazing impact on your health!
So lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement with your co-workers, friends and family! Join millions of people across the nation and take a step toward improving your health by walking at least 30 minutes today!