Sitka Chiropractic Tip: Go out for a walk.
Every step counts! Walks are healthy. Walking is effective, even in small spurts.
It’s a growing trend in Sitka and everywhere else. Walking is free and easy. It’s a physical activity that most anyone can do. Unfortunately only about 48% of adults get enough aerobic (activity that makes the heart pumping harder and blood vessels healthier) physical activity (1), so Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka recommends walking to all of our Sitka chiropractic patients particularly as they get over a back pain episode.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
Physical Activity Guidelines recommend only 2 and a half hours a week. (2) That’s so simple! That can be accomplished in smaller chunks like five 30-minute walks or longer walks with friends instead of coffee chats or dinners out. A walk while waiting to pick up kids at activities will do it. 145 million adults walk as part of their physical activity plan. Others like some in Sitka walk for fun or transportation or exercise. 6 in 10 walk for their aerobic physical activity. Others enjoy ballroom dancing or gardening. (1) Brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming or biking are potential endeavors when walking becomes a bit too comfortable, but walking itself works|is]19] just fine!
WALKERS KEEP WALKING
The Journal of the American Medical Association released information about 1635 inactive adults from 70 to 89 years who were at risk of losing their mobility (ie, their ability to walk without support). They were separated into 2 groups: walking (20-minutes-a-day walk) or education (reading material about healthy aging). The walking group experienced an 18% lower risk of major mobility disability at 2.6 years. The walkers could walk without support up to a quarter mile. (3) This is positive news!
A NEW WALKING PROGRAM: Motivators & Effects
What motivates you to exercise? Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is here to coach you! A new report about outcomes of a 6-month program of walking listed what low back pain participants said were motivators that got them to start the walking program (back pain improvement and better overall healthy lifestyle), to adhere to the program (walking was perceived as a safe exercise as opposed to high-impact exercise that they wanted out of fear of making their pain worse), and to complete the program (accountability, pleasure of the exercise and health benefits). (4) A recently designed study expects to define just how effective a walking and education program might be able to prevent low back pain recurrence as well as for cost. They are calling it WalkBack. (5) Such a fitting name! Effectiveness and cost-savings might also be motivators to stay with a walking program.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
So if you are looking to add some physical activity to your life or you are attempting to re-gain your physically active life after an injury, illness or episode of back pain, just walk (after you check with your Sitka chiropractor first!). It may well be just what you are looking for! Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Amanda Harris on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she explains treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that allowed a patient to walk again without a cane.
Schedule an appointment with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka today for individualized advice about incorporating walking into your chiropractic care plan.
