Every step counts! Walks are healthy. Walking is effective,
even in small spurts.
Walking as exercise is a growing trend in
Manahawkin and everywhere else. Walking is free and easy. Walking is a physical activity that
most everyone 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 Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
recommends walking to all of our Manahawkin chiropractic patients especially
as they recover from a back pain episode.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
Physical Activity Guidelines advise only
2 and a half hours a week. (2)
That is manageable! That can be done in smaller chunks like five 30-minute walks or longer
walks with others instead of coffee chats or dinners out. A walk
while waiting to pick up kids at activities can work. 145
million adults walk as part of their physical activity plan. Others like some
in Manahawkin 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 not
being as mobile as they like (ie, their ability to
walk without assistance). They were separated into two
groups: walking (20-minutes-a-day walk) or education (reading material about
healthy aging). The walking group had an 18% lower risk of
major mobility disability at 2.6 years. The walkers could walk without assistance
up to a quarter mile. (3) This is positive news!
A NEW WALKING PROGRAM: Motivators & Effects
What inspires you to exercise?
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is here to inspire you! A new report about outcomes
of a 6-month program of walking listed what low back
pain participants said were motivators that prompted
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 would avoid 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 anticipates defining just how effective a walking
and education program {{might be able to prevent low back pain recurrence as well as for cost. They are
naming it WalkBack. (5) Such a fitting name!
Effectiveness and cost-savings can also be motivators to stay
with a walking program.
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
So if you are wanting to add some physical
activity to your life or you are trying to re-gain your
physically active life after an injury, illness or bout of back
pain, just walk (after you check with your Manahawkin 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 describes
treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management that allowed
a patient to walk again without a cane.
Schedule an appointment with Manahawkin Chiropractic Center today for personalized
advice about incorporating walking into your chiropractic
care plan.