My grandmother lived to the youthful age of 101 years old. Many of my relatives believe her lengthy lifespan was a result of her walking miles daily.
Another acquaintance of mine in Chicago remarked how his senior citizen father regularly walks the neighborhood during the rain, sleet and snow. He remarked, “For 87, my dad is in amazing physical shape and all he does is walk regularly.”
A recent report confirmed the importance of walking. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “more adults, including people with arthritis, were walking in 2010 than there were five years earlier.”
In an earlier study published online in the Arthritis Care and Research publication stated “the Arthritis Foundation’s six week walking program can help you walk your way to less disability, reduced arthritis pain and increased balance and strength.”
The Walk with Easy program is known to:
• Increase balance, strength and walking pace
• Improve overall health
• Build confidence in your ability to be physically active
• Reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis
The CDC report highlighted “a need for many more Americans to join the movement.” The study revealed only “48 percent of Americans are getting the government-recommended two-and-a-half hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, like brisk walking.”
CDC director Thomas R. Frieden, MD declared “physical activity a wonder drug.”
Arthritis Today Magazine revealed, “physical activity is important because it decreases a person’s risk of developing a range of physical and mental health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to depression and cognitive decline. For people with arthritis especially, walking and other physical activity can reduce pain and improve function and quality of life.”
Patience White, MD, the Arthritis Foundation’s vice president for public health said, “We’re excited that people with arthritis are walking more. But we really now need to focus on people with arthritis to bring them up to the national average or better.”
The Arthritis Foundation’s Walk with Ease program is available for FREE at http://www.arthritistoday.org/fitness/walking/walk-with-ease/index.php/
The program offers a selection of warm-up, stretch and cool-down exercises. It also offers a weekly walking diary and a starter kit.
Also, you can locate a local “Walk with Ease” program in your community.
The benefits of walking are endless. If you need motivation, go walking with your pet, friend or neighbor. You don’t need any special equipment except for a decent pair of shoes with some support.
You can easily and slowly walk your way to better health!
References:
Walking | Health | Arthritis | Arthritis Today Magazine. Arthritis | Arthritis Today Magazine | Arthritis Foundation. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from
http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/walking-arthritis206.php
Walk With Ease Program | Arthritis Exercise | Arthritis Today Magazine. Arthritis | Arthritis Today Magazine | Arthritis Foundation. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from
http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/walking-program-ease-arthritis136.php
Walk With Ease Program | Walking Program | Arthritis Foundation. Arthritis | Arthritis Today Magazine | Arthritis Foundation. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from
http://www.arthritistoday.org/fitness/walking/walk-with-ease/index.php
Reviewed August 14, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith