Every step counts! Walks are healthy. Walking is effective,
even in small spurts.
It is a growing trend in
Montreal and everywhere else. Walking is free and easy. It’s a physical activity that
most anyone can do. Sadly only about 48% of
adults get enough aerobic (activity that makes the heart pumping
harder and blood vessels healthier) physical activity (1), so Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
recommends walking to all of our Montreal chiropractic patients especially
as they recover from a back pain episode.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
Physical Activity Guidelines propose only
2 and a half hours a week. (2)
That is manageable! That can be broken
down into 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 Montreal walk for fun or transportation or exercise. 6 out of
10 walk for their aerobic physical activity. Others take ballroom
dancing or gardening. (1) Brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming or biking
are potential activities when walking becomes a bit too routine,
but walking itself works|is]19] just as well!
WALKERS KEEP WALKING
The Journal of the American Medical Association published
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 support). 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 support
up to a quarter mile. (3) This is great news!
A NEW WALKING PROGRAM: Motivators & Effects
What inspires you to exercise?
Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is here to coach you! A new report about outcomes
of a 6-month program of walking shared what low back
pain participants said were motivators that got
them to begin 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 finish the program (accountability, enjoyment
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’re
naming it WalkBack. (5) Such a suitable name!
Effectiveness and cost-savings might also be motivators to stay
with a walking program.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
So if you are looking 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 Montreal chiropractor
first!). It will do you good! 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 Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic today for personalized
advice about incorporating walking into your chiropractic
care plan.