Step Into Better Health in the New Year
The New Year is right around the corner.
That means you’re likely already thinking about setting goals to improve your health in the upcoming year.
But my motto is… “why wait?”
The holidays bring with them all kinds of bad habits.
So, why not counter some of that by starting something good TODAY?
I’ve got just the thing in mind…
It’s hard to beat the benefits of simply going for a walk.
You don’t have to join a gym or purchase expensive workout equipment. Just lace up your shoes and head outside.
Nor do you have to work up a sweat to reap the benefits… you just need to make it a regular habit.
Here are just a few research-based benefits of walking.
- It can help reduce your blood sugar. One review of studies found that taking a walk after a meal lowered blood sugar and insulin levels and significantly reduced diabetes risk.
- It reduces dementia risk. One study showed that people who take about 10,000 steps per day are 50 percent less likely to have dementia. Even those who walked less than half that amount—at just 3,800 steps daily—saw a 25 percent risk reduction.
- It can reduce pain and stiffness in people with knee osteoarthritis.
- Taking a daily, brisk, 15-minute walk can slash the risk of heart disease.
- Taking a 30-minute walk, five days per week reduced the risk of dying from cancer by nearly 20 percent.
- Walking reduces back pain
Overall, studies show that walking 7,000 or more steps daily reduces the risk of an early death by an astounding 50 to 70 percent.
Walking is simply the best way to get the most bang for your health buck.
So, why wait for the New Year to start doing something good for your health? Step away from your computer or phone and go for a walk TODAY.
P.S. The 5-minute solution to better blood pressure.
View Sources
Ungvari, Z., Fazekas-Pongor, V., Csiszar, A., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2023). The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: From Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms. GeroScience, 45(6), 3211.
