WU Walks

Why Walk?

Builds Self-Esteem!
Adds Years to Your Life!
Strengthens the Heart Muscle!
Improves Creativity/Sleep!
Reduces Stress/Anxiety!
SAFEST EXERCISE ON EARTH!
Can be done Anywhere!
Only equipment needed - a good pair of shoes!
Gentle on the body -- just the right amount of stress on joints!
A Social Exercise (if you want it to be!)
No Special Training Needed!

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR WU WALKERS

Establishing an exercise habit takes at least four weeks.
Success comes in small steps. Set REALISTIC goals for yourself. Start with a 15 minute walk daily.
Walking requires no training, can be done anywhere, requires only a comfortable pair of shoes, and is good for the young as well as the old.
The health benefits of walking /regular exercise are tremendous!
Our goal is that WU Walkers will walk at least 5 times every week accumulating a minimum of 30 minutes on each day.
Walking is a great stress-reliever, plus it inspires creative thoughts and better brain activity.

WALKING FACT SHEET

Exercise is Anti-Aging

Physical activity helps maintain muscle mass and strength.

Weight bearing and resistance-type exercise helps stress and strengthen bones to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Exercise helps break down restrictive side chains, providing more flexibility and range of motion.

Heart Health

Exercise helps massage blood vessels to maintain elasticity.

Exercise improves HDL (good cholesterol).

Exercise increases heart volume, heart pumping capacity, total body oxygen capacity, total body oxygen consumption and cardiovascular endurance.

Exercise reduces resting heart rate and helps maintain heart rate ability.

Exercise can improve maximum ventilation under stress.

Exercise helps maintain metabolism.

Walking in conjunction with a well-balanced diet

Helps lose inches and tone muscle.

Improves posture.

Accelerates weight loss.

Clears your mind and increases alertness.

WALKING INFORMATION

A recent study done by NIH (National Institute of Health) shows that even mild activity such as casual walking can lower the risk of diabetes. Walking and other activities improve insulin sensitivity--your body's ability to use insulin to metabolize food -- partly because the activity helps you shed excess weight. Any exercise will help, taking a half hour walk several times a week is a good goal but even short walks during the course of your day will help according to this 1998 study. Prevention Magazine, July 1998.

Donna Shalala, Health and Human Services Secretary, urges Americans to exercise to become a "healthier nation". Surgeon General David Satcher and Shalala recommend that all American adults engage in physical activity for AT LEAST 30 minutes a day. Today only 15% of the population does that and 11% of children/teens. Americans are now adding years to their lives through medical advances but unless they do simple preventive things such as exercise these added years will not be healthy years. Many schools in America are losing physical education programs and this is seen by many as a "national tragedy". Advances in modern medicine can only do so much to reverse the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. Associated Press January 26, 2000.

"Sedentary lifestyle is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality and morbidity in men and women. A NOMINAL increase in daily physical activity would enable most Americans to improve their health and quality of life because moderate-to-high levels of physical fitness mitigate the negative effects of being overweight, having high cholesterol or high blood pressure, or being a smoker." "Notwithstanding the plethora of benefits of regular exercise, more than 60% of American adults do not engage in regular physical activity, and 25% do not engage in physical activity. Physical activity declines substantially during adolescence: 70% of 12-year-olds participate in vigorous physical activity, yet only 42% of 21-year-old men and 30% of 21 year old women do so." Journal of American College Health , Volume 48, Number 4, January 2000 , p.175-180.

From Walk the Four Seasons by Robert Sweetgall, 1992. Rob is a national expert on walking, a former chemical engineer who gave up a profitable career in the early 80's to promote recreational walking . Several close family members had died early deaths that might have been prevented from regular exercise. He has appeared on the Today Show among others and been written up in the Wall Street Journal and numerous other publications. He has spent almost 20 years researching walking , talking to other people about walking, and walking himself ( he has walked across the US several times). Some of the important things he has researched about walking are: a direct correlation between physical activity, cardiovascular health and longevity. Maintaining a physically active lifestyle helps improve: 1) muscle mass and tone 2) the heart's pumping capability 3) bone density 4) pulmonary function 5) cholesterol 6) blood pressure levels 7) body composition 8) mental outlook.

A study of Harvard Alumni (done by Paffenbarger at Stanford) indicates a payback of 2 minutes of extra life for every minute of aerobic exercise. Exercise was also shown to improve the quality of life.

Why walking? Any physical activity benefits our body but many activities such as running or biking require much more of a body and are not likely to be done throughout life. The most important factor in an exercise program is long-term consistency and that's why walking has the advantage. While walking, you can talk , see the environment, think great thoughts, daydream. Walking takes no special equipment, families and friends can do it together, teachers can role model it for their students and it costs nothing. Walking is safe, unconditioned people can do it, it improves self-concept, sparks creativity, improves endurance, reduces stress, can be done anywhere for life!