March 2016

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
16 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com
March 2016
The Best Exercise is Also the Simplest!
Healthy
Living
by presented by
Tina Steve M. Amante Gottlieb, D.C.
Many people struggle to find a form
of exercise that they enjoy, that isn’t too
difficult, or that they can fit into their
schedule. But the best exercise is also
something incredibly simple, and you’re
already doing it every day! All you need
is a decent pair of shoes, and you can start
walking your way to improved health
and fitness.
Why is walking so great? Check on
these facts.
It’s easy. You learned to walk when
you were about one year old, and you
don’t need to do anything differently in
order to reap the health benefits of walking.
If you want, you can carry light hand
weights, strap weights to your legs, push
a stroller, or incorporate hills into your
route. But none of these are necessary to
get a good workout from walking.
It’s low impact. How many people
are injured by walking? Almost none,
unless you count slipping and falling on
ice. Walking doesn’t stress your joints the
way higher-impact exercises can. The last
thing you want is to injure yourself and be
forced to rest for weeks or months while
you recuperate. If you choose walking
as your primary exercise, you probably
won’t ever have to interrupt your routine
due to injuries.
It burns calories. The average person
burns around 100 calories per mile
walked, and most of us can walk several
miles per hour. Combined with a healthy,
low-calorie diet, a daily walk can help
you lose weight.
It’s linked to various health benefits.
According to the Stroke Association,
a brisk 30-minute walk every day
can reduce risk of stroke by 27 percent.
Regular walking also reduces the risk of
type 2 diabetes by 60 percent, and lowers
your risk of colon or breast cancer by
20 percent. Walking can even prevent
brain shrinkage and prevent dementia
as you age.
You can do it anywhere. You don’t
need a special gym membership to go for
a walk. You can walk in your neighborhood,
on the streets around your office
building, on the beach, in the park, or
even in a shopping mall.
If you walk outdoors, you will get
your vitamin D. Often we focus on
gym-related exercises, forgetting that we
also need to spend some time outdoors.
Exposure to the sun boosts vitamin D
levels, which are important for immune
function and bone health.
Walking boosts your mood. If you
suffer from mild or moderate depression,
a brisk walk can serve as a quick fix to
boost your mood. The activity releases
endorphins that help to relieve stress and
reduce anxiety. If you’re going through a
rough time in life, or just generally suffer
from low mood on a regular basis, daily
walks should be a part of your feel-good
repertoire.
Steve Amante is the owner of Amante &
Associates Insurance Solutions, Inc. He
can be reached at 951-676-8800 - www.
amanteandassociates.com
The average person burns around 100 calories
per mile walked
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