Wheeling Walks Challenge: Week #7

Get off the Couch!

“Couch potatoes” are a bumper crop in this country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that less than 25 percent of adults exercise at the level recommended by the Surgeon General. And our kids are inactive, too. But most people know that physical activity offers tremendous health benefits. Regular walking is good for everyone - young children and senior citizens; men and women, people of all races and ethnic backgrounds benefit from regular and moderate walking.

• Like other muscles, your heart gets stronger with use. A strong heart reduces your risk for heart disease
• You tend to lose muscle as you age. Regular walking is a good way to
  slow the natural loss of muscle.
• Maintaining strength in your legs, lower back and stomach area may also help prevent back problems.
• Aging also causes your bones to get weaker. Weak bones are more likely to break. Bone strength is linked to regular walking. Bone, like muscle, gets stronger the more it is exercised.
• Death rates are highest for people who are not physically fit. But you don’t have to be a jock to benefit from exercise. Regular moderate activities can help you improve your health.
• Every time you move, you burn calories. If you eat more calories than you burn each day, you will gain weight. Walking burns calories!
• Walking can help your body cope with stress better. You may also improve your self-esteem, emotional state, energy level, sleep and general satisfaction with life.
  

This week take a walk with a buddy!