Need a Reason to Walk? The “Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days” challenge is now in its 11th week in Pocahontas County. After a slow, cold start, weekly mileage reports are getting higher and higher as folks take advantage of warmer weather. Employees and friends of Pocahontas Memorial Hospital have walked more than 3,000 miles so far. Several participants have already reached their 100 mile goal and are now working on 200. The challenge will end June 23. For those of you who may need a reason to get motivated and begin walking this spring, study after study confirms that moderate physical activity – like walking – goes hand-in- hand with a host of positive health results. A Harvard medical study shows that walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day can cut the risk of heart disease in women as much as 40 percent. The benefits for men are comparable. Your heart is a muscle; exercise strengthens the muscle and makes it pump more efficiently, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to get to other organs of the body. In addition to improving your hearth health, walking can help build and maintain healthy bones and joints, prevent diabetes and hypertension, fight depression, help prevent osteoporosis, and boost your immune system. It also reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure and lowers blood pressure for people who may have high blood pressure already. There is no better time to start incorporating exercise into your daily life – take a walk and improve your health and well-being.
