Wellness

[AuntG]

99% of us believe walking is beneficial and think you have devised a sensible plan. Good luck.

[momoftwo2007]

@Helen Bach  Yes, it makes a big difference.

A new study by the Boston University School of Medicine (B.U.S.M.) found that just 20 minutes a day of low-to-medium-intensity exercise can measurably improve cognitive function. Furthermore, every additional hour per week of exercise reduced brain aging by more than one year.

A UC San Diego Study 2017, recently published online in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found one 20-minute session of moderate exercise can stimulate the immune system, producing an anti-inflammatory cellular respose.

These are just two studies that I found.  But there are many more studies out there that shows excersie even as little as 20 minute can make a difference.  

I do a brisk 30 minute walk most days, usually to the YouTube video "Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home" because it makes me use different muscle groups.  And I find it very helpful.

[chrystaltree]

If you are doing it for cardiovascular benefits or to lose weight, you have to walk fast enough you have to walk somewhat quickly.  You have to get your heart pumping.  My doctor said fast enough that you can't carry on a conversation with someone.  However slow leisurely walking is good for our mental health, it's beneficial to our musc l rs and bones and if we walk with others, it's good for the social contact.  That's why I bought a vibration platform, I get a better workout than I was getting from leisurely walking with friends.  

[hopi]

My brother's twice a week pool closed since the pandemic..... he is almost bedridden.

[hckynutjohn]

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@Helen Bach wrote:

Happy New Year everyone.  My resolution is a "brisk" 30 minute walk a day, and to eat more vegetables.

I happen to have multiple sclerosis and have trouble walking fast and forget about jogging.  I hate to swim and ride a bike so walking it is.  It's just that I'm thinking it's not enough to make any difference to my health.  Does anyone know for sure.  I've already checked with google...

The veggies have been easy. Throw them on a sheetpan and roast. Yum

@Helen Bach 

"I am thinking it is not enough". What exactly are your expectations from you walking 30 minutes per day, and eating more vegetables?

If you know your physical movement norms before starting these changes, along with full blood testing results? The blood draws in say, 3 months, along with a change in your physical movement norms! You will have some answers.

As I have said in many posts in this Wellness Forum, for many years. The humane body is an amazing thing. If one makes the necessary changes for the goals one seeks, odds are very good most human bodies will respond with positivity.

hckynut 🏒

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[BlueFinch]

@Sooner What you say is true, if you're only hoping to add years to your life. None of us know what our expiration date is, regardless of precautions taken. We do know, though, for most of us, that we can improve our odds and feel better doing so.

I walk 1-3 miles every morning, depending on the weather. I don't care if I get the advantage of extended life. I just want to feel better with whatever life I have left. If for some reason I can't walk for even two days, I start to feel increasingly tired, with activities of daily living becoming a chore. My walks energize me, mentally and physically.

I also feel crummy and lethargic if I don't stick with my healthy diet and begin eating junk foods, or take out. Of course, it leads to immediate bloating and weight gain, too. It's never worth falling off the wagon.

Also, exercise is a natural antidepressant, often as effective as meds for some depressive states. So some type of exercise plan is a win-win situation, with multiple advantages for everyone. 

[Tinkrbl44]

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@Helen Bach wrote:

Happy New Year everyone.  My resolution is a "brisk" 30 minute walk a day, and to eat more vegetables.

I happen to have multiple sclerosis and have trouble walking fast and forget about jogging.  I hate to swim and ride a bike so walking it is.  It's just that I'm thinking it's not enough to make any difference to my health.  Does anyone know for sure.  I've already checked with google...

The veggies have been easy. Throw them on a sheetpan and roast. Yum

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@Helen Bach 

I don't know where you're walking, but you can always change the routine by walking laps in a large grocery store or a Target or Walmart.  The shopping cart acts as a walker and walking the perimeter of a big store is not only safe but temperature controlled!   

And while you're at the store ... you can buy some veggies!  

[ID2]

Oh absolutely WALK!!! I'm an avid walker now. I just lost 70 lbs. in the past 1 1/2 years. I reached my goal last summer and I'm just maintaining now. I walk twice a day for an hour each. Love it. 

[millieshops]

@Sooner   so true.  Statistics for anything tell us averages, but they can't isolate individuals.  But, since the statistics give a big advantage to those who do exercise and eat more carefully, I am trying for that advantage.   Perfection might do the most, but something less still gives an advantage.  Genetics, stress, and other factors we may not be able to control determine the rest.

 Sad to say, I didn't get somewhat smart until I was almost 75, so I am unlikely to match Betty White's long life, but over 5 years later, I am healthier now than then

[CalminHeart]

Walking is always beneficial. I am nearly 68 walk my dog at twice a day unless it's raining or snowing. I can tell a difference even after doing that for many years. I'm down 70 pounds from my all-time high and it's helped me stay there. I live for warm weather when I can work in the yard and walk more.