BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina

You get out what you put in

For the sedentary people in your workforce, exercising a full hour each day might seem like too big a hill to climb. But new approaches show that people can adjust their exercise time, if they’re willing to adjust their expectations accordingly.

Thirty minutes a day? Much better than the “zero minutes” many people put in.

Sixty minutes? Now you’re managing your weight, probably losing some and reducing your risk of dying by another 10 to 15 percent.

Remember, this is walking we’re talking about. Apart from an injury, disability or a warning from a doctor, the only barrier to increasing your exercise load is time. Participants should start with what’s comfortable, then build up gradually and incrementally to the levels that deliver real benefits.

What are those levels? It depends upon the person. For a young, fit person, a brisk three- to four-mile-an-hour walk would feel “light.” An older or less fit person would label the same exercise “tough.” What’s interesting is that the harder a person perceives his or her exercise effort to be, the lower the risk of heart disease. If you feel like you’re working out, you are. For beginners, a good rule of thumb is to walk hard enough that you feel some exertion but can still carry on a conversation.

Adapted from Be Active North Carolina’s Worksite Walking Guide. For more information, please visit http://www.beactivenc.org/programs/be_active_worksites.cfm.