Fitness Session... Why Walk?
By Harry Pino, PhD
If you are deciding to go through bariatric
surgery or just had the surgery, part
of your new healthier lifestyle is to
commit to better fitness. Walking is
a perfect activity to start with, and
clinically appropriate for most patients.
Besides helping you to increase your
energy and feel better, walking can reduce
your risk for many illnesses, including
heart disease, high blood pressure, and
diabetes to name a few. Walking is one
of the simplest and safest aerobic activities
you can do. It will help you strengthen
your muscles and bones, increase your
metabolism while promoting weight/fat
loss, and assist in your recovery after
surgery. Your walking program does not
need to be complicated. In fact, being
consistent in your walking program is
one of the most important factors before
and after surgery.
Facts About Walking:
- Walking an extra 20
minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds
of body fat per year.
- Longer duration (30-40
minutes), moderate intensity 60%
-70% maximum heart rates are optimal
for weight loss.
- Walking is cumulative.
Cumulative throughout the day, the
weeks, the months... you can perform
1 20-minute session all at once, or
you can break it up into 2 10-minutes
sessions, or 4 5-minutes sessions,
AND you will receive the same weight
loss and health benefits
Benefits of Walking:
- Improves efficiency
of your lungs and heart
- Burns body fat
- Raises your metabolism,
even while you are at rest
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves you lipid profile
by increasing your good cholesterol
(HDL)
- Helps control and prevent
diabetes
- Strengthens your bones
and reduces bone loss in older women.
- Improves your self-esteem
To obtain the optimal health benefits
you should try to accumulate at least
20-40 minutes of walking a day, on most
days of the week. But walking for that
duration may be far too much for you
if you if you are not already been walking
or exercising. If you are just starting
your walking program, ten (10) minutes
of walking, every other day will still
add up to better health. Before you start
you should consult your primary care
provider or OCC physician.
The key is to be consistent, and remember
that everything counts; activity is cumulative!
Remember to properly warm up and cool
down after every walking session. Also
remember that we are offering lectures
on Physical Activity Thursday nights
at 6:30 PM.
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