HEART/STROKE: WALK THE LINE
Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking your way to heart health
So many recommendations for heart-healthy activity include advice to exercise moderately. But just what does that mean?
A study in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine establishes an easy-to-use definition for "moderate" exercise: about 1,000 steps every 10 minutes.
"It's a bit like a brisk walk," explains the study's lead author, Simon J. Marshall, PhD, an exercise and nutritional sciences professor at San Diego State University. "Imagine you're late for a bus, you're in a hurry. It's not a leisurely stroll. It's a brisk walk."
Three 1,000-step walks a day or one 30-minute walk five days a week would meet national exercise guidelines. "Even walking below that threshold will usually have some benefit to your overall cardiovascular balance sheet," Marshall adds.