Get walking towards a healthier lifestyle

WEDNESDAY, SEP. 26: More and more people in Bermuda are becoming active.

It is rare not to see at least a few people pounding the pavements in the morning or going for an early morning bike ride.

The Honolulu Heart study found that people who exercise for half an hour a day, every day, cut their risk of death almost in half.

One very good item to invest in is a pedometer. A pedometer helps you record the number of steps you take each day. To lose weight you need to do between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day. However 6,000 steps helps reduce the risk of death and 2,000 steps a day helps maintain your weight.

Another good piece of equipment to have on hand is a tape measure. Walking helps build lean muscle and although the scale may not register huge weight loss the loss of inches lets you know that you have burned fat. To reduce your risk of diabetes a woman’s waist measurement should be less than 35 inches and a man’s less than 40 inches.

Numerous studies have also shown that increased daily exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. In those that have breast cancer or colon cancer regular exercise improves the chance of recovery and survival.

Regular physical exercise such as walking helps move the blood around the body more efficiently which helps to cut the risk of heart disease and strokes. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body and the increased blood flow strengthens the heart and lungs and makes them work more efficiently. Studies have shown that exercise raises HDL which is the good cholesterol and should be at least 45mg/dl in men and over 50mg/dl in women.

The National Council on Aging published a study that showed that participants who were over 60 and who exercised for 30 minutes every day were able to increase their thinking skills. Walking and similar aerobic exercise helps the body release natural happy “drugs” called endorphins and people who exercise on a regular basis report that they feel less depressed.

Studies have shown that University students who walked regularly had lower stress levels then their friends who were couch potatoes. Increased exercise gives you energy. Lots of people think that exercise will make them more tired but the opposite is true. After exercising for 30 minutes people feel energized and have more stamina. In Sweden they have opened cafés where people go at lunchtime and dance. This is proving to be popular with people young and old and employers have noticed less time away from work and more productivity.

Another benefit of exercise is the effect it has on the body’s immune system leaving you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses such as colds or flu.

We are now in October and it is getting cooler all the time. There are no excuses. Get a pair of walking shoes and get started. For those of you who are unable to walk use your arms. Any exercise that gets the blood moving and the heart beating a little faster is good for you. While you are at it get the whole family involved.

Debbie Jones is currently a vice president of the International Diabetes Federation and a diabetes nurse educator at the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Diabetes Education Centre. She writes a monthly diabetes column for the Bermuda Sun to help educate people about one of the island’s biggest killers.