Manchester Chiropractic Tip: Go out for a walk.
Every step counts! Walks are healthy. Walking is effective, even in small spurts.
Walking as exercise is a growing trend in Manchester and everywhere else. Walking is free and simple. 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 Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries recommends walking to all of our Manchester chiropractic patients particularly 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’s 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 Manchester 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 endeavors when walking becomes a bit too comfortable, but walking itself works|is]19] just as well!
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 split 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 positive news!
A NEW WALKING PROGRAM: Motivators & Effects
What inspires you to exercise? Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is here to inspire 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 follow the program (walking was seen as a safe exercise as opposed to high-impact exercise that they would avoid out of fear of making their pain worse), and to finish the program (accountability, pleasure of the exercise and health benefits). (4) A newly 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 are calling it WalkBack. (5) Such a fitting name! Effectiveness and cost-savings can also be motivators to stay with a walking program.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
So if you are wanting to add some physical activity to your life or you are attempting to re-gain your physically active life after an injury, illness or bout of back pain, just walk (after you check with your Manchester 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 Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries today for individualized advice about integrating walking into your chiropractic care plan.
