Every step counts! Walks are healthy. Walking is effective,
even in small spurts.
It’s a growing trend in
Oxford and everywhere else. Walking is free and easy. It’s a physical activity that
most anyone can do. Unfortunately only about 48% of
adults get enough aerobic (activity that makes the heart pumping
harder and blood vessels healthier) physical activity (1), so Satterwhite Chiropractic
recommends walking to all of our Oxford chiropractic patients especially
as they recover from a back pain episode.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
Physical Activity Guidelines advise just
2 and a half hours each week. (2)
That’s manageable! That can be accomplished in smaller chunks like five 30-minute walks or longer
walks with others instead of coffee chats or dinners out. A walk
while waiting to pick up kids at activities can work. 145
million adults walk as part of their physical activity plan. Others like some
in Oxford walk for fun or transportation or exercise. 6 in
10 walk for their aerobic physical activity. Others enjoy ballroom
dancing or gardening. (1) Brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming or biking
are potential endeavors when walking becomes a bit too routine,
but walking itself works|is]19] just as well!
WALKERS KEEP WALKING
The Journal of the American Medical Association released
information about 1635 inactive adults from 70 to 89 years who were at risk of not
being as mobile as they like (ie, their ability to
walk without support). They were separated into 2
groups: walking (20-minutes-a-day walk) or education (reading material about
healthy aging). The walking group experienced an 18% lower risk of
major mobility disability at 2.6 years. The walkers could walk without support
up to a quarter mile. (3) This is positive news!
A NEW WALKING PROGRAM: Motivators & Effects
What motivates you to exercise?
Satterwhite Chiropractic is here to coach you! A new report about outcomes
of a 6-month program of walking shared what low back
pain participants reported as motivators that got
them to start the walking program (back pain reduction
and better overall healthy lifestyle), to adhere to the program
(walking was seen as a safe exercise as opposed to high-impact
exercise that they wanted out of fear of hurting
themselves), and to finish the program (accountability, enjoyment
of the exercise and health benefits). (4) A recently planned
study expects to define just how effective a walking
and education program {{might be able to prevent low back pain recurrence as well as for cost. They’re
calling it WalkBack. (5) Such a suitable name!
Effectiveness and cost-savings can also be motivators to stay
with a walking program.
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
So if you are wanting to add some physical
activity to your life or you are attempting to re-gain your
physically active life after an injury, illness or episode of back
pain, just walk (after you check with your Oxford chiropractor
first!). It may well be just what you
are looking for! Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Amanda Harris on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she explains
treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that allowed
a patient to walk again without a cane.
Contact
Satterwhite Chiropractic to set up your next appointment for personalized
advice about integrating walking into your chiropractic
care plan.