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Our walking news headlines are updated every Monday.
Promoting New Urbanism
Central Illinois Proud.com (May 1, 2008)
Illinois is catching on to the “New Urbanism” trend in planning and developing communities across the country. Creating walkable communities is one of the principles of new urbanism, and a group of residents in Peoria is following those principles with a “Campaign for a Walkable West Bluff."
Walking... It’s What’s For Lunch
Todaysthv.com (April 30, 2008)
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in conjunction with the WalkingWorks program recommends walking during work lunch breaks. According to them, if 10% of adults began regular walking programs, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends walking 30 minutes daily, at least 3 days a week.
Exercise Programme Improves Physical Performance and Reduces Fatigue in Cancer Patients after Treatment
Medical News Today (April 29, 2008)
A three-week program which focused on walking significantly improved physical functioning and reduced fatigue in people with a range of cancers and persistent fatigue, a study has shown.
Forget the Gym. Head for the Shopping Centre
The (UK) Guardian (April 29, 2008)
'Mallercise' - power walking and marching up stairs and escalators while window shopping - is a craze sweeping the US and catching on in Great Britain.
So popular have such sessions become in the US and Canada that manufacturers now market special "mall-walker" shoes "to give extra traction for smoother, slicker mall floors".
Perceptions - Go Ahead Put the Water Bottle Down
New York Times (April 29. 2008)
A review of clinical studies has found no evidence that drinking eight glasses of water a day, the usual recommendation, is beneficial to a healthy person. “Under normal circumstances,” said a co-author of the study and a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, “drinking extra water is unnecessary. I want to relieve people of the burden of schlepping water bottles around all day long.”
Nature’s “Green Gym” is now Open
Star-Telegram (April 28, 2008)
Also known as eco-therapy, green exercise simply means exercising outside. You can get substantial mental-health benefits -- reduced stress, depression, anger, and enhanced mood -- simply by seeking out the natural world, according to growing evidence from researchers in the US, Scandinavia and Britain. “The biggest challenge”, said a professor of environment and society at the University of Essex, “is redesigning cities to get people to walk more.”
Brick Students ‘Circle the Globe’ by Walking
APP.com (April 27, 2008)
A New Jersey Municipal Alliance organized a unique walk for its annual service project. The goal was to collectively walk 25,000 miles, or the circumference of Earth, in less than three months. "We have a society where we sit too much and don't walk enough, and obesity is one of the biggest challenges we have as a national health issue," said Senator Robert Menendez. "It's one way to make a difference in our own lives and it helps create health consciousness."
Fitness Guidelines Tough to Follow - For Kids and Parents
Twin Cities.com (April 25, 2008)
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that boys take at least 11,000 steps per day, that girls take 13,000 steps per day and that total screen time should be limited to two hours a day.
Race Walking Is Gaining New Respect
New York Times (April 24, 2008)
More than 89 million Americans take part in walking, making it the top fitness activity in the US, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Now that the number of race-walking events has increased, athletic shoe manufacturers are taking walking more seriously, with new walking shoes making their debut.
Aerobic Exercise May Shield Aging Brain
Reuters (April 23 2008)
Keeping the heart fit with aerobic exercise may also boost older adults' brainpower, according to a review of 11 clinical trials in 3 countries. Researchers in the Netherlands found that when healthy adults older than 55 improved their fitness through aerobic exercise, there was often an improvement in memory, attention or other mental abilities.
Weight Loss As Easy As a Walk in the Park
Courant.com (April 23, 2008)
A pedometer-based walking program helped people lose a modest amount of weight without changing their diet. In addition, Prevention Magazine says to replace your soles after 150 hours. If you're logging an hour a day walking, you'll need new shoes about every five months.
Best Ways to See the World by Foot
Forbes (April 23, 2008)
Walkers know that seeing the world by foot yields a rare experience. Walking tours can be done in one’s own area, but there are several destinations around the world that expose travelers to the best of nature and culture. At the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand, for example, there are several easy-to-moderate hikes. Travelers who don't mind the cold and enjoy adventure could hike Patagonia, a region of southern Argentina east of the Andes. Someone who appreciates hot climates, wildlife, and flat terrain could opt for a walking safari in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park.
Nordic Walking Might Look Funny, But Proponents Say It’s a Good Aerobic Workout
The Plain Dealer (April 22, 2008)
Claire Walter, whose forthcoming book "Nordic Walking: The New Way to Health, Fitness and Fun" predicts Nordic walking will become big within the next five years.
Regular Walking Can Pay Off With Better Health and More Energy
GreenvilleOnline.com (April 21, 2008)
There are many potential benefits to walking every day. They include:
- Increased energy throughout the day.
- Deeper and more satisfying sleep.
- Stronger leg muscles along with healthier bones and joints.
- Less knee pounding than running.
- Toned muscles and lower body fat.
- Higher metabolic rate.
- Reduced stress and reduced risks for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, stroke, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.
Walk the Walk
New York Times Magazine (The Green Issue) (April 20, 2008)
Between 1977 and 1995, the number of daily walking trips taken by adults declined by 40%. However, Alan Durning, an environmental researcher, argues that walking may be the ultimate timesaver. He cites a British study that suggests that for every minute you walk, you live about three minutes longer.
Walking With his Muse, a Poet Becomes His Own Destination
The Washington Post (April 20, 2008)
Poet Edward Hirsch finds walking improves his stage of mind, “as long as I can remember, I have associated that calling, my life's work, with walking... walking seems to bring a different sort of alertness, an associative kind of thinking, a drifting state of mind”.
If You Don't Like to Run, Try Walking
Belleville Intelligencer (April 19, 2008)
Walking is a viable option for many former runners who have injuries or physical issues that make running painful or potentially harmful. Running is often turned to as a method of weight loss when in fact walking yields the same caloric burn as running; 100 calories per mile.
Step it Up to Avoid Childhood Obesity
Web MD (April 16, 2008)
Children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a TV or computer screen and who do not get the recommended amount of exercise are headed toward weight gain, new research shows. The finding, concerning childhood obesity, supports recommendations endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding physical activity and screen time. The guidelines include that boys should take a least 11,000 steps daily and
girls should take at least 13,000 steps a day.
They Walk for Health, For Peace of Mind, For Life
HeraldNet (April 15, 2008)
Millions of senior citizens across this country are out walking daily to keep their bodies and their minds healthy.
Woman Loses 95 pounds, Trains for Marathons
CNN.com (April 14, 2008)
A 31-year-old Florida woman, who lost 95 pounds, began her weight loss by walking without any real goal or expectation. She believed that if she just focused on eating less and moving more, everything would fall into place.
Walking Clubs Gain Popularity, Combat Childhood Obesity
KTKA.com (April 14, 2008)
Atlanta area elementary students find they cover about 2.5 miles each day in an afterschool walking club.
Low-Impact Exercise Helps Obese Boys Burn More Fat
Reuters (April 9, 2008)
For obese boys, lower-intensity exercise like walking may be better at burning fat than more vigorous workouts, suggests a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
10 Fresh Ways to Boost Your Energy Now
CNN.com (April 9, 2008)
To boost your energy, one suggestion is shaking up your exercise routine by changing your walking route.
Dieting for Dollars
Newsweek (April 7, 2008)
Many companies have found new ways to promote employee health habits. Hundreds of employers are using financial rewards and, increasingly, penalties, too, to persuade employees to take demonstrable steps to improve their health and reduce their health insurance costs and absenteeism.
MU, Cabell-Huntington Health Department Join WalkItUp! Program
The Herald Dispatch (April 6, 2008)
Marshall University has joined the local West Virginia Health Department in a community-wide program to help reduce the area's obesity rate.
National Start Walking Day
The Associated Press (April 4, 2008)
On April 16, many companies across the country will participate in “Start! Walking Day”. The American Heart Association is encouraging companies to promote walking and its benefits. Rising health care costs and losses in employee productivity have corporate America looking very hard for ways to improve employee health. It may be as simple as slipping on a pair of walking shoes before or after work.
Many Benefits from Walking to Work
Mount Vernon News (April 3, 2008)
This writer's stirring depiction of walking makes you want to lace up your walking shoes. “Walkers report humble happenings along their route that drivers miss: Bird songs, the smell of spring flowers, the conversations of other walkers... There’s more time to look around at the world when one doesn’t have to concentrate on the brake lights of the car ahead”.
Walk Away with Better Health
Herald News.com (April 2, 2008)
“Start! is the American Heart Association’s national program that calls on US employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthy lives through walking”, said a corporate director of the American Heart Association.
Measuring Walkable Urbanity
Walkable Streets.com (April 1, 2008)
The notion of “walkable urbanity” includes convenient access to a park, grocery store, and by definition is a short easy walk to nearly all of life’s destinations. It also allows you to get to know your neighbors.
Walkable Towns Curb Obesity, Pollution, Expert Says
Reuters (April 1, 2008)
Designing walkable communities is a cost-effective way to address the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, a researcher told the American College of Sports Medicine's 12th annual Health and Fitness Summit.
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