Laila Ali Helps Promote National Start Walking Day!
Whenever we post an article on over 50 exercise, it gets a lot of attention. Lots of our readers have questions about which exercise they should start, especially if they have not worked out for awhile. And while we have published some articles on all sorts of older atheletes who keep pushing themselves to extreme limits, we do not mean to scare anybody off.
Walking is a Simple and Safe Exercise For Most Older People
One of the simplest, healthiest, and least risky exercises that you do is to simply go out and take a walk. If the weather is nice, it is pretty simple to stroll around your neighborhood. If the weather is bad, you may join the growing ranks of mall walkers.
Walking is popular because most of us can do it, and because it is really cheap to start. All you really need is a comfortable pair of shoes. It has other attractions too. You can actually walk and have a conversation with your buddies, sip a cool drink, and admire your surroundings.
Besides, a daily half hour walk can promote weight loss, decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Some experts estimate that we will add 2 hours to our life expectancy for each hour we engage in regular exercise too. So if the prospect of living a longer and healthier life, and of looking better while you do it, consider making a brisk walk part of your daily routine.
Laila Ali, The American Heart Association, and National Start Walking Day
Laila Ali, world champion athlete and former professional boxer , is encouraging people to walk 30 minutes on April 7, 2010 as part of National Start! Walking Day. Americans across the country will join her in order to help themselves physicall, and also to promote this most natural exercise. Hopefully, this one day will begin a habit that keeps a lot of people healthy for years.
From coast to coast, Americans will lace up their sneakers and take steps — literally — to increase physical activity when they participate in the day’s events.
The Importance of Over 50 Exercise
“The importance of regular physical activity cannot be overstated,” said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. “Our latest research demonstrates that 70 percent of American adults report being told by a healthcare professional to make a lifestyle change and 33 percent of those were told to exercise more. Simply put, we all need to get up and do more.”
The American Heart Association recommends that all adults avoid inactivity. Walking vigorously for as little as 30 minutes, preferably most days of the week, can promote weight loss, decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the association said. Additional benefits occur as the amount and intensity of physical activity increases. Some adults also may gain up to two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular, vigorous physical activity, such as very brisk walking.
The American Heart Association’s robust Web site — startwalkingnow.org — includes strategies to help people get started and stay on a physical activity regimen. They include:
• Local walking paths. To find one near you, visit startwalkingnow.org.
• Three customized walking programs (beginner, intermediate and advanced)
• Online tracking tools to document calories consumed, steps taken and routes walked
• Sole mates social networking capabilities to find and support like-minded walkers
• Downloadable seasonal walking guides with tips to maintain a routine regardless of weather
• Walking videos, produced in collaboration with ExerciseTV, that make an at-home workout easier with tips and motivation
• Social media daily walking guide with inspirational messages, heart-health tips of the day, video content from Exercise TV, community chat capability and a private journal
About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org
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I know my own doctor has suggested I exercise more. I hope we can all get inspired to get out and walk – at least.