Kaiser Permanente put out a short video touting the importance of walking for both our physical and mental health. The benefits are so voluminous that I will only highlight some of the most important.
Walking 30 minutes a day, five times a week can improve your health in ways you may not have imagined. Walking reduces the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50%. We have an epidemic of diabetes in this country. 40% of the health care dollars of Medicare are spent on diabetes. Walking also reduces your chance of having a stroke, heart disease, or hypertension. Women who walk have a 43% less chance of having a stroke. Also, women who walk have a 20% less chance of getting breast cancer, and a 30% less chance of colon cancer. Men who walk have a 60% less chance of getting prostate cancer.
Walkers have a greater resistance to disease, and if you do get a cold, your cold symptoms will last about half as long. Walking also improves brain health in people over 60. Walking has a positive impact on depression.
What could be easier than taking a 30 minute walk five times a week? NOTHING. It's the easiest way to improve your health. There are many more benefits of walking, but isn't this enough to get you out of that chair? No single action can do more for you than walking. Let's all get going.
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