Walking: Anti-aging ExerciseWalking for your anti-aging exercise is a smart choice. According to the U. S. President's Council on Physical Fitness and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease and other scientific studies, it has been shown to:
Is this Really an Anti-aging exercise?A few years ago pundits were surprised to learn that New York City residents are living longer than ever AND longerthan most people in the United States. A New Yorker born in 2004 is not expected to live about 9 months longer than the average American. AND the life expectancy in the city is increasing at a faster rate than the rest of the country. While the average person in the United States has added about 2.5 years to the life span since 1990, New Yorkers have added 6.2 years.When Thomas Frieden, New York’s commissioner of public health was asked about these figures, he noted that public policy can not explain it all. He noted instead that New York is a WALKING CITY. In fact, it American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine has designated New York as BEST CITY in this category for several years. Frieden also noted that New Yorkers do not amble. They move fast and hard - qualities that researchers say make for better conditioning and health. But you do not have to live in New York to benefit from this exercise. It is something anyone can do. (Of course before making a radical change in your exercise habits, you should consult your health care provider.) If you have a number of health problems, you can begin your right in your own home. Measure the distance acrossrooms and figure out how many times you need to go the length of rooms and/or hallways to reach 1/10 of a mile (a mileis 5,280 feet). This technique has been used by captured soldiers and detainees to stay fit when housed in small cells.But you can adapt it to your own situation. If you are going to start 'going for a walk' as part of your anti-aging exercise program, you might want to startby bringing a timer or setting your watch to ring after 10 minutes. Then go as far as you can in 10 minutes.When the alarm button goes off, turn and return home. You may find that your return trip takes more than 10 minutes. OK, you had to slow down a bit but that is O.K. When it takes you no more than 10 minutes to get back to your starting point, then you are ready to add a few minutes to your outward trip. If you plan to walk a half hour a day, then you will never do more than 15 minutes on the outward leg. When you reach your 15 minute limit, head back. What you will find is that with practice you may cover more ground in your 10, 12 or 15 minutes but you are spending no more time on this anti-aging exercise program. What if you do not have not the time or place it?Many people find that during the work week they can not fit in a formal program. Researchers who are aware of theconstraints of modern life have begun researching ways to increase this activity without addingtwenty or thirty minutes of special exercise to your day.There have been a number of 'workplace walking programs' that have studied how to help people add this activity to theirregular day. These programs have targeted the work place and what they have found is that the use of a pedometer is not only motivating but it provides each person with daily feed back about his or her activity performance. This research has shown the Pedometer walking is a great way to start a daily program. The use of pedometers seem to really motivate those who use them. They also make it possible for you to increase your over all distance just going about your daily activities. To read moreabout pedometers and their use to Walking :the pedometerapproach |