Who would have thought that an activity as simple as walking only 2 minutes out of every hour could increase a life span by 33 percent? You saw that right, 33 percent! The modern day fast paced life style we live these days has offered many conveniences that eliminate walking from our daily activities. A conscious effort should be made to incorporate walking as a minimum form of exercise in our daily routine.
Recent research findings show the following facts:
- Walking slows down the aging process and helps repair old DNA.
- Walking a distance of at least 2 miles every day can greatly reduce the occurrence of hospitalizations from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by half.
- It reduces the chances of having stroke in men who are 60 years or older.
- Can help protect you during the flu season by boosting your immunity.
Benefits of Walking
- Walking improves your mood and emotional well-being.
- Lowers your risk of obesity and helps maintain a healthy body weight.
- Stimulates the release of endorphins which have pain killing effects on your body.
- Increases your joint and muscle strength, and also reduces the chances of osteoporosis among post-menopausal women.
- Helps strengthen the heart and lungs, therefore reducing the chances of cardiovascular disease.
- Helps manage and prevent chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease etc.
- Improves sleep, blood circulation and supports your immune system.
Recommendations
- Walk at least 30 minutes per day for at least 5 days a week.
- Aim at getting up to 10,000 (10 K) steps a day.
Colorado Black Health Collaborative Walk Day
The Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) agrees that 10 K steps per day will keep the doctor away. CBHC plans to lead the way and show by example. We will be walking at least 10,000 steps on Saturday, April 1, 2017 as part of the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Billion Step Challenge. You can find out more about the APHA Challenge at http://www.nphw.org/get-involved/steps-challenge. CBHC will be doing our part by stepping for the health of it! Our goal is to collectively register at least 200, 000 steps on April 1st.
Our Walk Day begins at 2 PM and our starting point will be the CBHC office. We will be walking down one of Denver’s many trails. Go to the Events page on the CBHC website for more details. There is still time to join our team and join the fun! Help us to meet and exceed our goal. Let’s show the rest of the nation how Black people in Colorado get their health on!
Article By: Kike Oduba