Walk For Good Health

Just 20 minutes Can Increase Your Life Span.

- Dr. Manoj Shah

Walking is an automatic, intrinsic human function, and it serves many practical roles. Strange as it seems, though, modern man appears determined to walk as little as possible. Not many men would walk five miles to work — but remarkably few choose to walk even a half mile to a friend's house or neighborhood store. And it's not just a question of walking for transportation; moving walkways whisk us through airports, and elevators and escalators lure many able-bodied men away from stairways. If the Segway "walking" machine ever catches on, walking will suffer yet another setback.

The average American actually spends nine to 10 hours of their day sitting, and certain occupations, such as telecommunications employees, spend an average of 12 hours sitting each day. For many years, exercise was promoted as the solution to this largely sedentary lifestyle, but research suggests it can’t counteract the effects of too much sitting. The more you move around and get up out of your chair, the better, and walking is part of this. Research even shows getting up and walking around for two minutes out of every hour can increase your lifespan by 33 percent, compared to those who do not. According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the average person only walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day, but aiming for 10,000 steps is a better goal.

If you want to add seven years to your lifespan, set aside 20 to 25 minutes for a daily walk. This simple habit, which can also arguably be one of the most enjoyable parts of your day, has been found to trigger an anti-aging process and even help repair old DNA. It’s an essential movement that we all require –in addition to a regular exercise program.

Gentle, low-impact exercise that’s easy, free and available to everyone – here’s why walking rocks.