{"id":769,"date":"2015-09-16T13:35:22","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T17:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/?p=769"},"modified":"2015-09-17T11:16:53","modified_gmt":"2015-09-17T15:16:53","slug":"walking-is-the-best-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/walking-is-the-best-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking is the Best Medicine!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Lacing up your shoes and getting out the door is one of the best things older adults can do for their health and mood.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Barb-Resnick-Headshot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-770\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Barb-Resnick-Headshot-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Barb Resnick Headshot\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong> Professor<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong> Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong> University of Maryland School of Nursing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Surgeon General\u2019s new \u201cCall to Action on Walking\u201d is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the many physical and mental health benefits of walking. In fact, if the benefits of walking came in pill form, I\u2019m convinced it would be the best-selling pill on the planet! Walking is a scientifically proven, simple way to dramatically improve your well-being. No matter how old you are, when you walk regularly, you can enjoy benefits like these:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol<\/li>\n<li>You will start feeling happier, less anxious, and less stressed<\/li>\n<li>Your sleep can become sounder and more restful<\/li>\n<li>You may be able to lessen your risk of falling and reduce your fear of falling<\/li>\n<li>You can prevent gaining weight<\/li>\n<li>Your mental sharpness can improve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recently, researchers from Johns Hopkins University discovered that for older women (but not older men), a low-intensity daily walk might enlarge the part of the brain responsible for memory. Known as the hippocampus, this section of the brain is linked to memory loss when it shrinks due to aging. <em>[Varma et al. Low-Intensity daily walking associated with hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus. 2015 May;25(5):605-15]<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although we know that there is little risk associated with walking, many older adults are afraid that walking might worsen conditions such as arthritis. But the good news is that the opposite is true. In fact, when you walk just 3,000 steps a day, you can prevent the pain of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2014\/06\/140612085120.htm\">knee arthritis<\/a> from getting worse. And people who walk 6,000 steps a day (about 3 miles) can reduce their chances of becoming disabled by arthritis.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Sometimes, older adults worry about starting a walking program because they have concerns about heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems. More good news\u2014according to scientific studies, walking is unlikely to trigger a heart attack.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some suggestions for starting a walking program:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019ve been inactive or sedentary, or have physical limitations, ask your provider to create an exercise \u201cprescription\u201d that meets your needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>In the beginning, set goals for yourself. A 5 or 10-minute walk is perfect when you\u2019re starting out. You can add time and distance gradually.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose comfortable shoes that fit well\u2014sneakers or walking shoes are best for most people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Drink water before, during, and after your walk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s fine to use a cane or walker if you need help with balance or to ease painful joints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Find a place to walk that\u2019s enjoyable and safe. If you don\u2019t live in a location with safe, level sidewalks or a park with walking trails, consider your local mall, a school athletic track, or a nearby Y, or the hallways of your apartment building or the setting in which you live.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Have an indoor walking plan for cold, icy, or rainy weather. Walking around inside your home or living setting and going up and down the stairs is better than not walking at all.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Try to \u201csneak\u201d in some walking during the day. For example, if you\u2019re watching TV, get up and walk around the room while the commercials are on. When you\u2019re sitting down, \u201cmarch\u201d your feet as if you were walking. Don\u2019t sit while you\u2019re on the telephone\u2014instead, get up and walk around as you chat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Consider using a pedometer, a fitness tracker, or a smart phone app that measures your progress. Watching your improvements over time can be very motivating!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>[Resnick et al. Screening and Prescribing Exercise for Older Adults. Geriatrics and Aging 2006;9(3):174-182]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lacing up your shoes and getting out the door is one of the best things older adults can do for their health and mood. Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP Professor Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology University of Maryland School of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/walking-is-the-best-medicine\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,9],"tags":[35,34],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=769"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":776,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769\/revisions\/776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}