Walking = Freedom

In our field, it is pretty easy to get caught up in the expensive gadgets we can buy to help heal our patients. Turns out one of the best investments we can recommend is a good pair of walking shoes. The University of Georgia just came out with a new study that proves walking is still a pretty great way to live longer. People who walk regularly have a 41% greater chance of living independently than people who’d rather sit on a couch all day.  Walking isn’t just good for physical well-being, it can also curb mental diseases. The list of benefits is pretty long. It is critical to stress the importance of basic exercise to your patients. Walking just 30 minutes each day can dramatically improve their health – and greatly decrease the risk of dementia. In fact, regular walkers are half as likely to develop dementia than their couch-potato counterparts. So today, we challenge you to challenge your patients. Inspire them to start small by taking a walk around the block. Convince them to get their friends involved. And then get them to increase their walking over time. Their lives and their freedom depend on it.