DETROIT – Being fit for life is crucial to our health, and it is the focus of Local 4′s July Go 4 It Event.
Go 4 It: Join Dr. McGeorge to promote fitness with Detroit Riverwalkers
One of the best exercises to get in shape and stay in shape as we age is walking.
We talked with Justin Wight, a physical therapist at the Henry Ford Center For Athletic Medicine, about the many benefits of walking.
“It’s a powerful weight loss tool, it helps preserve the cartilage we have in our bodies, that helps bring oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage in our bodies, helps stave off arthritis,” said Wight.
Studies find walking can also improve circulation, strengthen your bones, lower your risk of dementia, help you sleep better and reduce your risk of several diseases.
Walks also help boost your mood.
“People who walk regularly are generally happier people. Those of us that sit on our butts all day and hang out on the couch, our moods are negatively affected by that and just getting up and walking even 20 minutes a day has been shown to significantly increase our mood,” said Wight.
But the benefits of walking are often underestimated.
“People don’t always view something as simple as walking as a form of exercise, when really it is,” said Wight. “People who are, have difficulty finding motivation to exercise, feel like they have to do something incredibly strenuous, like, ‘This is not productive if I just get up and walk. I need to go for a run or I need to go for a 10 mile bike ride,’ when that’s just not the case.”
For those recovering from injuries, walking is the first step on the road back.
“In our facility, we treat mostly athletes and higher-level patients, but many of those patients are coming out of surgery and can’t walk at all,” said Wight. “From the time they begin physical therapy to the time they return to their sport, oftentimes the first level of exercise that they’re able to do from a cardio standpoint is walking.”
For non-athletes, it’s all about getting started and sticking with it.
“To get up off the couch and just go for a 10-minute walk, one time a day, every day, if you can commit to that, while it may seem very daunting to begin that routine, if you’re someone that’s relatively sedentary, it won’t take you long until that becomes a big part of your routine and you start to see some of those benefits, in your appetite and in your mood and even weight loss,” said Wight. “Your joints will start to feel better, and soon you may find yourself, you know, you feel hooked and you need to go for a 45-minute walk or a 60-minute walk every day.”
Our Dr. Frank McGeorge is teaming up with the Detroit Riverwalkers to promote regular exercise and a healthier lifestyle. The Detroit Riverwalkers is a program for adults 50 and older that encourages wellness. He will be joining them on Tuesday, July 23rd at 8 a.m. and leading participants on a one-mile walk.
Go 4 It: Join Dr. McGeorge to promote fitness with Detroit Riverwalkers