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COPYRIGHT 2007 Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Take a walk! That's the advice of doctors, public health experts and various medical organizations. In fact, experts now urge people to log at least 10,000 steps per day for good health.
So, is walking as miraculous an activity as it's made out to be? In a word, yes. If you are sedentary, a daily half hour stroll can make a big difference in your health It's also cheap--all you need are comfortable clothes and a good pair of walking shoes; it's also accessible; easy to do, and has a low risk of injury.
Research published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that to become aerobically fit and reap health benefits, people should walk either at a hard intensity--65 to 75 percent of their target heart rate (THR)--for at least three to four days per week, or at moderate intensity--45 to 55 percent of THR--five to seven times per week See "Find Your Target Heart Rate" on p. 4). In other words, you need to breathe a little harder and/or walk a lot more often for optimum benefits.
A Japanese study recently published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings confirms that moderate-pace walking--about 3.1 miles per hour--may not be enough to increase peak aerobic...
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