Jessika Vandivier
The Paw Print
Welcome once again readers to a new week and a new challenge. Last week we discussed how important staying hydrated was. I hope everyone got in their eight glasses a day and hopefully you didn’t get too water logged.
Our health challenge this week is something so simple you’ve been doing it since you were about one years old. This week, we walk.
Even if one wishes to not participate in this challenge, they are still going to succeed in it because as college students we do this pretty much all day every day. Whether you are going to class, to the Rex, or to the Sub, your most reliable source of transportation is to walk.
Walking is a very valuable form of exercise that often gets overlooked, but has monumental health benefits.
Just thirty minutes a day on foot can decrease risk of heart disease, amp up muscle power, and reduce your overall body fat.
But wait, there’s more! Improved balance, a stronger heart, and healthier lungs are also side effects of taking a little stroll every day.
Does your family have a history of diabetes? If the answer is yes then you should know that in one British study, researchers found that walking decreases your individual risk of getting diabetes too.
According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer have a forty five percent greater chance of living if they go for a walk every day rather than staying inactive.
Need more proof? A study done in Italy proved that people who used the most energy while walking had a twenty seven percent lower chance of developing dementia in their old age.
Probably the biggest reason to walk every day; a better sex life! Yup, that’s right, I said it. By going on a simple thirty minute walk you will not only want to have more sex but your performance will most definitely improve as well.
Hopefully the point has been sufficiently made about how good walking is for both your physical and mental health. Now, let’s talk about some ways that one can incorporate more walking into their daily routine.
You should without a doubt walk to class as much as you can. Pick a time to meet one of your classmates and you guys can walk to together. This will guarantee that your walk actually happens because you will feel bad for canceling on someone.
Other ways of making sure you get your thirty minutes in is to walk around while you talk on the phone. The best time to do this is when you call home. We all know that one phone call to Mom will take down three days of walking around.
So your challenge this week ASU; walk everywhere! Try not to use your car at all. By accepting this task you will not only be healthier, but you will also save some money on gas; you’re welcome.
Good luck fellow students and have a nice walk!
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