Improving Your Health, Step by Step
We know that physical exercise is as important to good health as healthy eating, but for many reasons exercise often falls to the bottom of our priority lists. We don’t have the time, money, or energy. But, exercising for your health doesn’t require loads of time, money, effort, or athletic prowess. Simply putting one foot in front of the other will move you quickly down the path to better health.
WALK Feel Alive has been impacting lives since 2006. Today more than 1,800 people in Birmingham and 1,800 more in rural counties of Alabama and Mississippi are WALKing for better health. A new partnership with the Birmingham Park & Recreation Board is drawing even more participants, expanding the network of Birmingham residents taking charge of their health simply by WALKing.
Start WALKing, Get Healthier
People who sit a lot at work and home move about 2,000-3,000 steps a day—under a mile and a half. Increase your steps and you’ll see big health benefits: adding 2,000 steps a day prevents weight gain; 8,000-10,000 additional steps promote weight loss.
The best way to add steps is to build more walking into your daily routine. The MHERC's WALK Feel Alive initiative makes it easy to get up and get moving by incorporating activity into your daily routine. For example, try parking farther from store entrances, choosing the stairs, and taking a 15-minute walk during a break or before meals.
How Does WALKing Promote Good Health?
According to a study in Archives of Internal Medicine, walking just 30 minutes a day offers important health benefits and has even been shown to add 1.3 healthy years to your life.
More benefits of daily walking include:
Lowers heart disease risk and improves blood cholesterol levels
Keeps weight under control
Prevents and manages high blood pressure and diabetes
Prevents bone loss
Boosts energy, helps manage stress, and releases tension
Improves your ability to fall asleep quickly and sleep well
Increases enthusiasm and optimism
Improves muscle strength
Helps prevent chronic diseases associated with aging
Helps stave off Alzheimer’s disease*
*Benefits list adapted from: American Heart Association; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Physical Activity and Health: A Report to the Surgeon General. Alzheimer’s benefits adapted from: “Physical Activity and Gray Matter Volume in Late Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study.”