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Photo: CORBIS |
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Step to It
Sonnia Hernandez has the glow of fresh sweat. Fifteen minutes of tai chi stretches and moves have warmed her arms and legs for an air-conditioned power walk at the local mall. Not long ago, the only reason for heading to Dadeland Mall in South Florida was the occasional coupon sale at her favorite clothing store. Now, walking is a three-times-a-week ritual that has brought a spring to her step she thought was gone forever. A year and a half ago, Hernandez's knee hurt so much that walking up a single step meant excruciating pain. Doctors and drugs brought no relief to the 71-year-old retired bank teller from Cuba who now lives in Miami. The pain wasn't just physical; trouble walking had become depressing. "I was in really bad shape," she admits. Joining a mall-walking group made all the difference: "I might get here with some aches and pains, but when I leave I feel like new," she says. "I don't miss any sessions. I don't care if it's thundering and lightning outside, I come here to walk." Hernandez models what doctors across the country and stacks of medical studies have been urging for years: start walking. It's simple, cheap, and safe for almost everyone.
The data are convincing, according to Dr. Edward Schneider of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California and author of AgeLess (Rodale Press, 2003.) He says walking regularly-as slowly as two to three mph, five times a week-can significantly reduce one's risk of heart disease by as much as 30 percent in both men and women. Other recent studies show that exercise walking significantly reduces breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer, and provides a long list of other health benefits that include weight control, muscle strengthening, improved balance, better mental health, and a good night's sleep. "The key to getting off the couch is finding a walking partner, buying some comfortable walking shoes whose soles aren't too thick, and being consistent about your walking routine," Schneider says. "Whether you're in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the dead of winter, or Miami, Florida, in the middle of summer, you can head to the mall and walk. Remember, anything is better than nothing." With so much evidence that walking is good for body and soul, AARP is developing a national walking campaign for its members next year. This summer, a research study in four Southern cities and pilot walking programs in an additional two dozen AARP state offices will get under way. "Walking is the number one thing people say they would do when they want to be active," says Margaret Hawkins, interim director of health campaigns for AARP, "and when they [already] are active, it's the number one thing they say they do." Sandra Sánchez-Reilly, a doctor of geriatrics at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center, says she sees wonderful results in her patients who begin walking regularly. "Walking exercises muscles, helps protect bones, improves the circulation, decreases the risk of depression, and makes them more active overall," she says of her patients. "Once they feel they are more active, they become more energetic, hypertension improves, and they feel better." Chocolate got Marité Robinson, 55, walking long distances 10 years ago. Actually, it was the arrival of her chocolate Labrador retriever, Canon. The Argentine from Summit, New Jersey, says she also does some yoga and plays tennis, but it's the walking 30 to 45 minutes each day that gets her out of the house and moving. "Walking is just a great exercise," the mother of three says. "Once you're outside, it's refreshing. It helps me stay fit and you get out in touch with nature. You focus on the plants, the trees, the snow, the flowers, and not all the paperwork and junk you left back at the house. It lifts your mood." If the walking is brisk, it will do much more than lift your spirits, according to research. The New England Journal of Medicine notes that several extensive studies in recent years strongly indicate the benefits of exercise, especially brisk walking. A March 2002 study published in the journal looked at a group of 3,679 men with abnormal treadmill test results or a history of heart disease and 2,534 with normal exercise tests and no history of heart problems. There were 1,256 deaths in the follow-up period. The study showed that after adjusting for age, the capacity for extended exercise was a better measure of how long the subjects would live than more established methods of predicting mortality. Another heart study published in the journal's September 2002 issue also reported encouraging results for women who walk and exercise. Among 73,743 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 who were free of diagnosed heart problems or cancer, there were 1,551 cardiovascular incidents. Analysis of those showed that women who were sedentary had a dramatically higher incidence of heart problems. The journal adds: "prolonged sitting predicts increased cardiovascular risk." The American Cancer Society promotes walking and exercise as preventive tools. The group's website highlights studies showing that vigorous exercise reduces the risk of breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers by 30 percent to 50 percent. Getting that kind of benefit, however, required strenuous activity. For example, one study showed that Chinese women who did intense work, walking or bicycling for 20 to 30 hours a week, cut their ovarian cancer risk by 50 percent. Experts do recommend that anyone who has not been exercising regularly talk to their doctor first; otherwise, grab a friend and hit the road. "There are two different kinds of seniors, the 65-year-olds who can still take a brisk walk to reduce their cardiovascular risk, and the 95-year-olds walking from the bedroom to the living room with an attendant,'' says Dr. David Sutin, head of the geriatric clinic at New York's Bellevue Hospital Center. "Both these groups need to exercise to maintain their overall function. It doesn't matter how old you are, exercise is essential." Just ask 100-year-old Gerry Howlett. She joined the South Florida mall-walking group 21 years ago when doctors at Miami's Baptist Hospital started it as a way to provide a safe, cool environment for seniors to exercise. In April, when the former decorator from Niagara Falls turned the big double zero, her fellow walkers had cake and a song to wish her many more happy miles. Fully gray, but not looking a day over 80, the spry Howlett says of her walking: "It's helped me reach 100 for sure. Yes, my knees sometimes don't want to work when I get up, but the walking has made my legs strong. You lose muscle strength if you don't use them." Click here for tips on getting the most out of your walk and how (and when) to shop for walking shoes. |
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