Mercy Medical Center's Fall Fitness Pal Challenge
Why Walk?
Regular, physical activity is important for maintaining health and increasing life expectancy.
Incorporating moderate physical activity into your week can help:
* Control Weight, In combination with a healthy diet, physical activity is critical to controlling weight. The CDC recommends that adults get approximately 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week in order to maintain your weight. This includes walking
briskly (about a 15-minute mile).
*Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. Regular physical activity has been linked to many mental health benefits such as reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. This may be because exercise increases your body’s production of “feel good” chemicals (i.e. serotonin, dopamine, endorphins) that improve mood and increase motivation.
*Increase Brain Power. Studies show that exercise can help increase mental capacities. In studies of college students, those who exercised on a regular basis had higher grades and GPAs than those who were sedentary.
*Reduce the Risk of Early Death. A brisk, 20-minute walk each day reduces the risk of early death
by 16-30% in both men and women.
*Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Research demonstrates that around 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking8, can reduce the risk
of type 2 diabetes.
*Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers. Meeting the CDC physical activity guidelines can lower your risk
of colon10, breast11, endometrial12, and lung13 cancer. It has also been shown to help improve the quality of life for cancer.
Regular, physical activity is important for maintaining health and increasing life expectancy.
Incorporating moderate physical activity into your week can help:
* Control Weight, In combination with a healthy diet, physical activity is critical to controlling weight. The CDC recommends that adults get approximately 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week in order to maintain your weight. This includes walking
briskly (about a 15-minute mile).
*Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. Regular physical activity has been linked to many mental health benefits such as reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. This may be because exercise increases your body’s production of “feel good” chemicals (i.e. serotonin, dopamine, endorphins) that improve mood and increase motivation.
*Increase Brain Power. Studies show that exercise can help increase mental capacities. In studies of college students, those who exercised on a regular basis had higher grades and GPAs than those who were sedentary.
*Reduce the Risk of Early Death. A brisk, 20-minute walk each day reduces the risk of early death
by 16-30% in both men and women.
*Reduce the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Research demonstrates that around 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking8, can reduce the risk
of type 2 diabetes.
*Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers. Meeting the CDC physical activity guidelines can lower your risk
of colon10, breast11, endometrial12, and lung13 cancer. It has also been shown to help improve the quality of life for cancer.