Can a "Super Walk" Erase a Week of Nonstop Sitting?

"Over the course of 30 days, he was neck and neck with a relentless Dane and averaging over 20,000 steps daily just to stay in the race. In the final week, he managed a day of over 40,000 steps (that's about 18 miles, depending on your stride length). And to ultimately win the competition, he left his house with 30 minutes left in the month, for an extended evening amble."

"A study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that "weekend warriors," who crammed the recommended weekly exercise of 150 minutes into one or two sessions, had a significantly lower risk of death than inactive adults. The health benefits were nearly as substantial as those who exercised regularly throughout the week."

"For starters, movement is better than no movement. Even if that movement is condensed into the weekend. The average American walks less than 5,000 steps per day, according to the Mayo Clinic. Taking a few hours on a free weekend afternoon to log five days' worth of steps is a big deal, with legitimate physical benefits."

"Walking 20,000 to 30,000 steps will engage every muscle in your body, get your heart pumping, reduce insulin resistance, increase stamina and fight obesity and heart disease."

A month-long walk-a-thon shows how people can increase daily activity through sustained effort and end-of-period surges. Office initiatives aim to counter low employee walking in sedentary workplaces. The idea of “super walks” is that movement is better than none, even when condensed into weekends. Research in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that “weekend warriors” who complete recommended weekly exercise in one or two sessions have significantly lower death risk than inactive adults, with benefits close to those who exercise regularly. Since many adults average under 5,000 steps daily, logging several days’ worth of steps during a free weekend can provide meaningful physical benefits. Walking 20,000 to 30,000 steps can engage major muscles, raise heart rate, reduce insulin resistance, improve stamina, and help prevent obesity and heart disease.

Read at InsideHook