Workplace Wellness
Information and resources to help employers improve the health of their workforce.
Why walking works
What does the Surgeon General have to say about regular physical activity? A lot. The list of ways it improves health is too long to list here, but it’s hard to name a health risk that exercise doesn’t mitigate in some way.
According to the nation’s chief medical officer, men and women of all ages can derive great benefits from 30 minutes a day of “moderate activity.” Walking falls squarely in that category. Even people who have been completely sedentary can start with 10-minute walks and build up gradually to the recommended 30 minutes a day.
Of course, anyone with a chronic health problem or an identified risk for one should talk with a doctor before starting any program of exercise. So should men over age 40 and women over age 50.
Walking might not seem like “real” exercise alongside intense activities like biking, running or swimming. But researchers have found that if people stick with it and make walking part of a regular routine, it leads to aerobic fitness and body fat reduction, whether it’s in long periods or multiple short ones. And reducing body fat means reducing your risk of heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and anxiety.
One study found that when given a choice, sedentary adults were comfortable walking about 11 miles a week. They were able to vary the intensity and length of their walking sessions to suit their daily schedules. So your workforce doesn’t have to be burdened by the “not enough time” excuse any longer. But be aware that in another study, walks of less than 10 continuous minutes didn’t provide the same health benefits. The necessary participation has a low minimum, but it does have one.
Even people who improve health for a living have something to learn. An eight-year study of thousands of female nurses found that brisk walking three or more hours per week lowered women’s risk for coronary heart disease.
Adapted from Be Active North Carolina’s Worksite Walking Guide. For more information, please visit http://www.beactivenc.org/programs/be_active_worksites.cfm.