8 Active Aging Week | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2024
WALKING
YOUR WAY TO
BETTER
HEALTH
here is growing
evidence that the
journey toward
better health and
well-being, improved
fitness and disease
prevention may can begin
with a single step.
Walking – whether in your
neighbourhood, on a treadmill, with
your dog, at a gym or in a group
at your local mall – offers health
benefits for your body, mind and
spirit.
And it's never too late to get started.
"Walking is a great, cost-effective
form of exercise. It can help improve
your balance, manage blood pressure and
blood sugar levels, boost good cholesterol,
improve sleep, and strengthen lower body
muscles," says Linda Brown, executive director
of Active Aging in Manitoba (AAIM). "It's
important to move more and sit less. Walking
is low impact, so it's easy on the joints. It
gives us the opportunity to explore our local
neighbourhoods and connect with others and
nature."
According to the Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada, walking for just 30
minutes a day can help strengthen your heart
and lungs and reduce your risk of heart disease
and stroke.
T
Going for a walk in a beautiful setting is a real mood booster.
