Walking and Pets

"Walking keeps people and pets healthy.

Photo courtesy of Rescue 2 Restore

Brad's Story

Brad, a 6-foot-6-inch former athlete, had a wake-up call in his mid-30s. His doctor said he was at risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke, because of his weight and lack of exercise.

Brad's grandfather died of a heart attack. His father had quadruple bypass heart surgery at age 50. And now Brad was showing signs of going down the same road—for example, his doctor had told him he had a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. You want to have high levels of HDL, which is known as the "good" cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from your arteries. The fast food, beer, and stress from work and family duties were catching up with him..."
Pets

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

"Each year, people around the world observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities¹ in December. There are activities that each of us can do—individually and as a community—to celebrate this year's theme: "Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities."

Let's Walk! A Movement to Rethink the Way We Talk About Walking

In line with this year's theme, U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy has announced a Call to Action²[1.27 MB] to increase walking in all parts of the United States. This involves increasing access to safe and convenient places to walk and wheelchair roll for people of all ages and abilities. His campaign, Step It Up!, calls on Americans of all abilities to commit to walking for a healthier, more active lifestyle, and to help make their communities more walkable..."
Disabilities

Modes Less Traveled—Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008–2012

"Bicycling and walking make up a relatively small portion of commuting activity in the United States, but these nonmotorized travel modes play important roles within many of the nation’s local transportation systems. Infrastructure that supports bicycling and walking expands transportation options and may complement other forms of transportation by supplementing segments of trips. Several state and local agencies have taken steps to promote pedestrian and bicycle travel. Strategies to accommodate nonmotorized travel vary across communities, but may include sidewalk modifications, pedestrian-oriented commercial centers, or bicycle lanes to name a few. In recent years, the number of cities with bicycle sharing programs has increased considerably.1 These efforts reflect ongoing changes in infrastructure and travel options across the nation’s dynamic transportation systems. Such changes influence decisions people make about their trip to work. The American Community Survey (ACS) is an important tool for tracking how the nation’s travel patterns change across.."
Travel to work

Americans Are Walking More to Improve Their Health

"Improve your health by increasing your physical activity. Start with walking more as part of your daily routine.
Most everyone knows that physical activity is important for good health, but not enough actually do it. Obstacles abound, not the least of which is limited time. Fitting regular physical activity into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first, but the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are more flexible than ever, giving you the freedom to reach your physical activity goals through different kinds of activities. It's easier than you think!.."

Walking counts

Try Walking to Ease Joint Pai

"Despite the known benefits of physical activity to help manage arthritis, adults with arthritis are less active than adults without arthritis.¹ Walking has been shown to improve arthritis pain, fatigue, function, and quality of life,² but over 50% of people with arthritis do not walk at all (walk an average of 0 minutes per week).³ Walking is low impact on your joints, can be done almost anywhere and doesn't require special equipment or a gym membership. Celebrate Arthritis Awareness Month by starting a walking program today..."
Athritis Awareness

Walking Among Adults — United States, 2005 and 2010

"Overall, walking prevalence increased significantly from 55.7% in 2005 to 62.0% in 2010. Significantly higher walking prevalence was observed in most demographic and health characteristic categories examined. In 2010, the adjusted odds ratio of meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline among walkers, compared with non-walkers, was 2.95 (95% confidence interval = 2.73–3.19)..."