Why Walking is Good for YOU

I really do love "Walk with Walgreens" program.  It is easy to use, it gives you money to spend in their store, it has all kinds of support for you, and they have great articles.  I found this one last Monday and thought it was very interesting.  Go ahead and read the whole article, but I will tell you, in the study the performed, they found the ones who walked to have the better heart benefit than even the ones who did the VIGOROUS cycling program.  So if walking is what you like, if it is all you can do, or maybe it is just all you can afford to do, don't discount it.  It has great benefits for you and your body!  Enjoy :)

~Stacy~

Walking Can Be More Effective Then Gym Workouts

 by Walk with Walgreens

Can a just walking beat out the benefits of workout at the gym? A recent study conducted by Maatricht University in the Netherlands claims that the answer is yes.

Researchers found that for the same amount of calories burned, standing & walking over the course of a day has more benefits than an hour of intense exercise in regards to improving cholesterol and preventing diabetes. "Get out of your chair as much as you can, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go by bike," said Hans Savelberg, who authored the study.

Tests were conducted on a group of healthy adults who were asked to perform different exercises over the course of the study. For the first test, the group sat for 14 hours with no exercise. During the next test, the group sat for 13 hours and performed one hour of high intensity cycling. For the last test the group sat for 8 hours, then walked for 4 and stood for 2, in total burning the same amount of calories as during the cycling period.

The research revealed that the participants had improved insulin levels and lower cholesterol after walking and standing compared to no exercise at all. Where it gets interesting is that when the group took part in the walking & standing test, insulin and cholesterol levels where more significantly improved than even during the cycling tests.

"If you exercise for half an hour and are sedentary for the rest of the day, that represents an unhealthy lifestyle," said Savelberg. "Long periods of non-sitting at a low intensity level should be classified as an active lifestyle."

In short, getting more movement in throughout the day can be more beneficial than one workout in an otherwise sedentary day.