Today, countless Erie and Niagara County residents and others throughout the country will take a step towards being Healthy For Good and walk to commemorate the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day.
The Healthy For Good movement is designed to inspire all Americans to live healthier lives and create lasting change. It focuses on the simple idea that making small changes today can create a difference for generations to come. The American Heart Association encourages everyone to join the movement and move more with us throughout the month of April!
Studies have suggested that moderate physical activity has many proven benefits for overall health, such as lowering blood pressure, increasing HDL, or “good”, cholesterol and controlling weight. All these changes help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers, with stroke being the No. 3 killer in Western New York.
The American Heart Association kicks off the month-long campaign on National Walking Day, April 5th, to encourage people to move more by increasing their physical activity. The campaign is broken down into weekly themes. Week one focuses on walking and the basic tools you need to get started. Walking is one of the safest, least expensive, and most sustainable forms of exercise. Weeks two and three focus on recreational sports and outdoor activities the whole family can do together, and week four focuses on mindful movement and reducing stress by doing activities such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or a combination of both each week. Kids should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Be part of the movement and register for your free toolkit at www.heart.org/movemoretoolkit. For more information about walking paths, workplace wellness, living a healthy lifestyle or the 2017 Buffalo Niagara Heart Walk, visit the Buffalo Niagara American Heart Association local webpage at www.heart.org/buffalo or call Jesse Ladoue at #716.243.4607.