Want to Lose Weight? Start Walking Now
FARGO, N. D. - It may sound simple, but walking is the single most effective form of exercise to achieve heart health, plus it has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
Jenna Johnson, an exercise physiologist and cardiac rehabilitation manager atSanford Merticare, is also an American Heart Association (AHA) volunteer. She recommends the AHA website,www.startwalkingnow.org, to make it easier for people to take their first steps toward better health. Almost immediately, she says, most people will notice a change in themselves through walking.
"If people have not been very active, they're going to see some benefits right away. Just even the day of the first walk, you are going to feel better at the end of the walk. Taking a break at the end, you're going to feel more relaxed, more comfortable – but people will see benefits fairly quickly."
A common deterrent to walking is finding a place to do it, especially with the lack of sidewalks in many neighborhoods. Johnson says the website takes that into account, too.
"The website does show people how to find walking paths in their communities. You can do a real quick 'search' function by putting in your city and state, and it'll show you where local walking paths are available."
The website also has a fitness and nutrition tracker to document calories consumed, as well as three customized walking plans with videos designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced walkers. So it's okay to sit at the computer, says Johnson – but only long enough to get some good information and start walking.
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