walking Archives - IDEA Health & Fitness Association

Walking Benefits Low Back Pain

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / September 16, 2024

Consistent walking program reduced the need for back pain care by half in new study. Consider adding a walking program into the routine of clients coping with low back pain (LBP) as an effective method to reduce pain episodes by as much as 50%. Fit pros can individualize progressive walking programs for clients based on…

Walking and Lower Chance of Depression

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / December 5, 2023

Recent research findings show that moderate-intensity activity of as few as 20 minutes, 5 days per week, can lower risks of depressive symptoms and reduce the odds of experiencing major depression.

Increasing Walking Speed and Step Count for Longevity

By Len Kravitz, PhD / September 5, 2023

This column explores why increasing client daily step count and walking speed is a worthwhile goal for all fitness professionals.

Two women walking in an office after prolonged sitting

Walking After Prolonged Sitting

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / June 6, 2023

Most know prolonged sitting is bad for health, but what are the options? The answer: 5 minutes of walking for every 30 minutes of sitting.

Daily Walking Reduces Alzheimer’s Risk

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / May 8, 2023

Research shows that for women ages 65 or older, each additional 31 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was linked with a 21% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Woman looking at her wearable activity tracker

Walking With Wearable Activity Trackers

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / December 13, 2022

Wearable activity trackers encourage people to walk up to 40 minutes more per day, leading to more weight loss over 5 months.

View of person's foot as they are walking faster with dog

Walking Faster, Not Farther

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / November 1, 2022

10,000 steps a day may reduce disease risks, but research shows that walking faster may provide even more benefits than step volume alone.

Two people enjoying Nordic walking benefits outside

Nordic Walking Benefits Heart Health

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / September 6, 2022

In more news about Nordic walking’s benefits, a study shows that it improves functional capacity and depression symptoms in people with CAD.

Neighborhood Walking and Social Connection

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / July 5, 2022

Fitness professionals may want to consider supporting simple local activities, such as neighborhood walking, to boost “social capital.

Text Messaging Can Boost Daily Walking

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / April 1, 2022

Sending frequent text messaging about walking can increase the recipient’s daily steps, according to a study.

Sleep Deprivation Reduces Walking Efficiency

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / March 14, 2022

To add to our understanding of sleep, new findings show that sleep deprivation can undermine walking efficiency and increase clumsiness.

Hiking: It’s For Everyone!

By Judy Minich / December 6, 2021

Telling a person to “take a hike,” used to be a bit of an insult, but sending someone on a trek is really more of a favor. Besides having physical benefits, hiking improves mental health by fostering a relationship with nature. Research shows that spending time among trees and the great outdoors reduces blood pressure, lowers cortisol and adrenaline levels, and amps up the immune system (Mitten 2016).