Hack your walk with Nordic Walking Guy’s 3 rules:
- Walk with purpose!
- Be consistent!
- Remember everything counts but not everything matters!
For older people, osteopenia can be a serious condition affecting all around health. I came across a study about how walking can help fight osteopenia by increasing BMD (bone mineral density).
Main point: “Long-term brisk walking is an efficient way to improve BMD [bone mineral density]. Taking brisk walks for 30 minutes per day 3 or more times per week (volume>16) is recommended to prevent bone loss in premenopausal women.” No doubt such benefits of walking apply to men as well.
NOTE: Volume is a function of frequency X duration and yields that number of 16. It’s based on a physical activity index. When you work through tat function, a volume greater than 16 means walking over 3 or more times a week for at least 30 minutes each time.
More about it:
- “Osteoporosis is an increasing health problem in postmenopausal women whose hormonal changes lead to rapid bone loss.”
- “…the aim of this study was to make clear the effect of brisk walking on BMD [bone mineral density] improvement in premenopausal women and find out the key factor for improving BMD [bone mineral density].”
- “…brisk walking entails maintaining a walking pace of at least 3.0 miles per hour or 20 minutes per mile.”
Why it matters:
“Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low BMD [bone mineral density], can increase fracture risk, reduce functionality, and cause disability and even death.”
“[Walking] is the main option for increasing physical fitness in sedentary populations, especially in the middle-aged and the elderly.”
“[Walking] volume was the dominant factor affecting BMD [bone mineral density].”
Where Nordic walking comes in:
- Since bone is living tissue, the weight bearing nature of walking stresses the muscles and bones to make them stronger.
- Because Nordic walking involves the upper body, all those muscles and bones benefit from the stress.
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Nordic Walking Guy’s first rule is “Walk with purpose!” Walking with purpose includes living a life with meaning. Buy Your Unfinished Business: Find God in Your Circumstances, Serve Others in Theirs to learn more about faith, calling, and resilience.
