SoCo Magazine - May 2008 - (Page 63) yourhealth by rob saint laurent stepping out—enjoy the benefits of walking Get SOCO™ magazine online. Simply go to socomagazine.info and click on the page-turning icon. No downloading, no special software. Reaching more readers without killing trees. Don’t miss the I once heard a funny anecdote about a man (we’ll call him Charlie) who attended my church. He would walk many miles a day, traversing the New Bedford Seaport. One day, Charlie was asked to join a small group of fellow churchgoers for a walk, to which he eagerly agreed. Halfway along, he felt compelled to ask where they were headed. It was as if they were walking aimlessly and hadn’t any destination in mind. Much to his chagrin, he was right. He was told they weren’t headed to anywhere in particular, but rather they were out for “exercise.” Huh? Charlie was aghast. He had walked all that way with seemingly no purpose. He had things to do and places to go. For Charlie, his feet were his transportation. For those of us with cars and sedentary jobs, the merits of walking extend far beyond getting from the post office to the package store. Let’s look at some of the current literature surrounding walking to see why we should all be more motivated to take in the sunsets after work and park further from the mall entrance. Walking for just 30 minutes a day at a moderate pace, similar to the level of exertion in gardening, was found to lower the risk of coronary heart disease by 30–50 percent. As published in Seminars in Vascular Medicine (2002 Aug;2[3]:257-66), the significant decrease was seen in both genders, in older subjects, and even in men who had existing coronary heart disease. This study overview also revealed a decreased risk of stroke from regular leisure time physical activity. For further proof walking can reduce risk of sedentary-related disease and improve the condition of those already living with disease, researchers in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (2005 Nov;7[6]:737-44) saw very positive results when they looked at pedometer-registered activity, aerobic capacity, self-reported activity, and fitness in a group of 12 type-2 diabetic men. Following a 12-week intervention of structured walking just twice per week, the men were found to have favorable effects of reduced body weight, higher aerobic capacity, and better metabolic control. It also showed that wearing a pedometer will keep you honest with yourself about your true amount of activity. Can you also see the implications of this research for our local population of overweight prediabetic youth? Regarding pedometers, at least one other study shows this device can even help motivate you to set goals and increase your activity, especially in conjunction with periodic email reminders from a friend to keep you accountable. Pedometers are inexpensive and available in any sporting goods department. To further stoke your fire of desire, walking can even enhance your odds of living longer. The more you do, the greater the benefit and the less risk of early mortality. This was seen in a 1991–1992 study of nearly 100 young Scandinavian women over an 11-year follow-up period. (It would be logical to assume similar findings in men.) So, what are you waiting for? The weather has broken and there are plenty of great places, such as the Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven (my personal favorite), to keep your body strong and your senses alive and well. You might even accompany a kind soul like Charlie during his daily routine. Robert D. Saint Laurent, M.Ed., is a certified master trainer and author of the Amazon.com book FitWorks!. Ultimate CelebRatiON on S aturd ay, M ay 31 The Sky Room presents SOCO™ magazine’s 3rd Birthday Party. With special celebrity guest and live music from Jazzy-Lady’S SOuL Revue Hors d’ Oeuvres & dessert, dancing and light show For tickets call 508.994.9942 or e-mail: tickets@socomagazine.info Tickets are $25* *Proceeds go to a local charity M ay 2 0 0 8 | s o co m a g azi ne . i nfo | 63 http://socomagazine.info http://Amazon.com http://socomagazine.info
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