This article was previously published on January 4, 2020 and has been updated with new information.
Most of us have some idea of the dangers of inactivity – an all-too-common lifestyle that includes going from “couch to car to cubes.” But many people think that the alternative to a sedentary life is to exercise actively and become a member of the gym.
The excellent documentary “Walking Revolution”, evolved from Kaiser Permanente Every Body WALK! campaign,first shows that the alternative to inactivity can be a simple, fun, and free activity. It’s called walking.
From “shopping mall walk” to “walking bus” that includes children walking to school in groups supervised by adults, “Walking Revolution” shows the many ways you can combine work. walk into his daily life. Implementing the standing desk we use at Mercola.com and using the stairs instead of the elevator are also great ways to combat a sedentary lifestyle.
The “Walking Revolution” also reveals the health benefits of walking, some of which are not well known. You may realize that walking can lower your blood pressure and reduce your chances of getting diabetes, but did you realize that walking can also reduce your risk of developing cancers and cognitive decline? Can it act as an “instant antidepressant” as the experts say in the video?
In addition to the benefits to your health, “Walking Revolution” highlights the environmental benefits of walking. Pedestrian environments such as traffic-oriented developments (TODs), a type of urban development that place houses within walking distance of public transport, resulting in fewer cars and less traffic. more pollution.
The film says the “walk-friendly” environment even helps the local economy by allowing people to visit shops that are not located in malls and malls. Best of all, unlike some other forms of exercise, you can start walking right away without any specific workout and without any special equipment.
How Do Americans Stop Walking?
When I was growing up, children went to school and often did not get picked up by their parents. I still walk every day, usually barefoot, to get the benefits of grounding along with the benefits of walking.
While the fear of crime focused on children is the main reason parents say they are starting to take their children almost anywhere, and even if many children no longer live within walking distance, to their school, the physical effects on the children were dire.
In 2017-2018, obesity affected 13.7 million children and adolescents,2 and children are developing conditions that were once considered “adult” diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.3 Overall, 19.3% of children aged 2 to 19 are considered obese.4 However, after the pandemic began, that number increased to 22.4% in August 2020.
America’s inactivity and sedentary lifestyle obesity can be traced back 40 to 50 years when the US highway system matures. That’s when car culture and “bedroom communities” emerged with family breadwinners commuting to and from their suburban or suburban homes. Here’s How Kaiser Permanente “Every Body WALK!” describes the unfortunate evolution:5
“For the past 75 years, and for the sale of land, cars, and a new concept of a consumer-driven lifestyle, American city planners have favored expansion: Suburbs, private transportation Humanization, brand new freeways and lax zoning laws have won over Main Street, USA – where people used to live, work and shop relatively close to their homes…
While it took our communities less than a century to make that change, what happened to our bodies after evolving thousands of years as hunting-picking machines? pick up – transport is serious…
Raised in industrialized societies with little need for movement and exercise, the human body is now paying a heavy price. Our natural bodies are not suited to the well-built environment that makes us live our days in the golden cage of a sedentary lifestyle…
Once upon a time our cities were designed on a human scale. As more and more people were on the street, we moved to the suburbs. The sidewalk has been removed. The drive-in mini shopping mall has been created. Home and business are getting further and further apart. The result: the metropolis is so sprawling that it’s impossible to walk in a day. “
When they conceive of the working environment, urban planners may never realize that the ultimate “labour-saving device”, the automobile, will create negative impacts on the environment. health, pollution, urbanism and social isolation. According to “The Walking Revolution,” when richer people run to the suburbs, it also creates impoverished, crime-ridden cities that are too dangerous for safe outdoor exercise.
Poverty areas are also food deserts. It is ironic that suburbanization, which was supposed to improve people’s lifestyles, means that people can no longer walk in their neighborhoods. Richer people end up walking indoors on treadmills, and poorer people often don’t walk at all.
Walkable neighborhoods are making a comeback
The good news, say the “walking revolution,” is that the United States is reversing the trend of rampant urbanism, including in neglected downtowns across the country. The film says that some of the reversals stem from millennials, who famously reject isolated suburban life and car culture.
In Chicago, the downtown campuses of Roosevelt, Loyola and DePaul universities and Columbia College have kept downtown housing, shopping, eateries, and nightlife thriving. .
Adding to the resurgence of walkable communities, corporations have also moved to urban centers in a move aimed at attracting more employees who want to take short-term commutes instead of spending hours driving on the highways. . In 2019, the trend started in Chicago, Chicago Business said:6
“McDonald’s is one of many local companies that have left their longtime headquarters in the suburbs or below to find new locations in Chicago’s expanding central business district. ADM, Kraft Heinz and Motorola Solutions have joined made the move, and fast-food maker Mondelez plans to follow suit next year.
Others, notably pharmacy giant Walgreens – which is moving more than 1,000 workers from Deerfield to the old Main Post Office – are setting up sizable offices downtown. “
According to “The Walking Revolution,” another trend that shows a resurgence in walking is the return of public parks, often with public stewardship.7 The public parks movement has the potential to affect public health such as the provision of clean water, tap water in cities, and the creation of Central Park.
New and old walking ideas
The “walking revolution” introduces many people, including older adults, who have made “walking the mall” their primary physical activity, with positive results. Sure, a climate-controlled environment, with no traffic risks, could be ideal, although it means you’re missing out on the benefits of exercising outdoors, like exposure to sunlight. sunlight and grounding.
However, some of the people in the film attest that they have been walking for years, lowering blood pressure and beating diabetes.8 It’s also free, unlike a gym membership. The movie also reminds us of the practically unlimited exercise opportunities that come with owning dogs. Not only do dogs need to go outside several times a day, but they also want to play with us and other dogs.
They lift our steps, help us meet people, and lift our spirits. Preston, the young man in the video happily walks his dog in the video, we all know the benefits of exercise, so, “Why not do it with a beautiful companion?”
The film says citizen-led park initiatives are addressing some of the barriers to walking. For example, traffic calming devices, shade trees, and better sidewalk lighting make walking a much more enjoyable activity.
“When there are trees between me and the roadway, I feel safer,” agreed one committed pedestrian. Smart Growth America’s Neha Bhatt says building safe, walkable roads is as much a priority for the city government as building roads.
And speaking of roads, the replacement of goods transported by rail with truck routes has left many railway corridors abandoned, and they are easily turned into walking paths. A prime example in the film is the New York City Freeway, operated by Friends of the High Line in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.9
Built on a retired overhead freight line, the Expressway begins on the lower West Side of Manhattan and runs to the northern edge of West Court on 34th Street. Many called for the tracks to be demolished. abandoned cargo because they were an eyesore, but in 2006 the first section of the Expressway was demolished instead.ten
Now, with art and food vendors, it has become an inspiration for all cities looking to transform their industrial infrastructure into walkable public spaces.
The many medical benefits of walking
The medical risks from a sedentary lifestyle are substantial. An announcer who started the series said: “A sedentary lifestyle is believed to be as much of a cause of death as smoking. Another said: “Sitting is linked to breast and colon cancer.
Experts appearing on “The Walking Revolution” echoed the warnings. Inactivity is increasing rates of “obesity, heart disease, high…blood pressure, diabetes,” says Shellie Y. Pfohl, from the Presidency Council on Exercise, Sports & Nutrition. Dr. Robert E. Sallis, who practices both family and sports medicine, warns that diseases that threaten public health today are no longer contagious, but “primarily stemming from inactivity.” .
Fortunately, the effects of walking are just eye-opening and include reversing or alleviating many sedentary-related illnesses, the film says. Jesus Lopez, an RN doctor at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, says walking has helped him lose a staggering 70 pounds and he feels “reborn”.
Dr Karim Khan, from the University of British Columbia, says activities like walking can “reduce some cancers by 50%.” Dr Lynn Kostecki-Csanyi of the Kaiser Permanente Rehabilitation Center said that dementia patients “better in memory” when they walk.
John Arden, Ph.D., an author and psychologist, highlights the significant and underreported antidepressant benefits of walking. Compared to antidepressants, he says, “the quick fix is better than walking,” which he calls “instant antidepressants,” which are “the cheapest and easiest way to get immediate pain relief.” instantly.”
Sallis adds that relying on medication instead of exercise to reduce health risks is not the solution to illness and can even be dangerous. Studies show that people given blood pressure medication exercise less and don’t eat as much as people who don’t, he said. The reason is that they think they don’t have to worry about their health anymore while on medication, says Sallis.
The video says all the benefits of walking are indisputable and available to everyone. In fact, if the benefits of walking were in a pill, those pills would fly off the shelf, says Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, of Harvard Medical School.
