Up 8%

According to the Centers For Disease Control, adults were walking more in 2010 than in 2008.  In 2008, 56% of adults claimed to go on a 10 minute walk at least once a week.  By 2010, that percentage was up to 62%.  Wow!  Maybe we're onto something!

I was walking way more than one 10 minute walk each week in 2008.  But, some of my readers were not.  I'm so pleased when I hear from a reader that s/he has been encouraged to get up and walk - encouraged by something they've read on this blog.  The first step remains the most difficult.

According to the same article, federal guidelines recommend that we get at least 150 minutes of brisk walking (or similar aerobic exercise) each week.  If you choose to walk 5 days a week, that means you need to walk 30 minutes each time.  That's in addition to the walking we do around the house (in the normal course of our activities each day), around the office, to and from the car, etc.

Thirty minutes five times a week is a good goal - but may be far too high an expectation for starters.  So, I recommend that you start slowly and work up to that 30 minute stretch.  Start with 1 minute or 5 minutes or whatever number of minutes you can take in relative comfort.  And, you can accomplish some or all of that initially by parking at the farthest spot from your office or the entry to the grocery store.  Walk to your mail box.  Then walk to your neighbor's mail box.  Each week, walk to a mailbox one house farther from you until you can walk for 10 minutes without distress.

Take it slow - but TAKE IT.  You walk the dog - not the dog walks you, right?  The benefits and rewards are abundant.  You'll not only feel better physically - you'll also feel better about yourself!  In this regard, the Feds have it exactly right!  They make us pay too many taxes, may frustrate us with their long lines and paperwork and bureaucracy - but about walking (and exercise), they have it exactly walk.  Take care of yourself cuz no one else is gonna!


*************************** Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.