Happy New Year!
I hope you had a lovely holiday with your friends and family. Now that 2020 is behind us, we focus on new beginnings. I just read a CBC article about the benefits of walking. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/if-you-had-to-pick-one-health-treatment-for-2021-here-s-your-best-choice-1.5852187
As the article notes:
If you are thinking about how to get into better shape this new year, why not keep it simple with a proven health intervention that’s easy to do and proven to improve people’s health and extend their lives?
It’s walking. And before you say “too bad it’s boring” and move on, read on a little more first.
First of all, let’s get the benefits out of the way.
Around 30 minutes of walking a day, whether all at one time, or in multiple sessions has been shown through studies to help people lose weight, improve their heart health, increase endurance and improve mental well-being.
So, as we all walk into 2021, full of hope that comes with new beginnings, let’s take the walking literally. Ontario is in lockdown for another 3 weeks or so, and other parts of Canada and the world are still battling CoVid with severe restrictions on our movement. But, we have to move – some how, some way.
As the article also notes: “walking as a main exercise routine could be particularly helpful for people now as there is continuing uncertainty around how to keep fit safely during the pandemic.”
The gyms, theatres, and stores are closed. Restaurants are take-out only. And normal outdoor activities are also limited and/or you’re encouraged to mask (even outdoor skating rinks in Ottawa). But we can walk.
” So where to start? Consider what Dr. Michael Evans, a professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Family Medicine, known for his health videos on YouTube, had to say in one of his video essays about walking. He challenged people to spend just a half hour a day walking, as a way to better health and a longer life, which he points out still leaves 23½ hours for sitting and sleeping.”
So, I’m going to start. I’ve been trying to run a little, but when it snows, as it did yesterday, the roads and sidewalks are a bumpy, lumpy, mess – especially with a sheen of ice underneath. It’s dangerous to run sometimes. But, I can get outside -and walk.
And so can you. Do it. For your health. For your family. For you.
Let me know how it goes!