Walking for Wellness

Peachland is set up perfectly for all levels of walkers. Whether you walk along the waterfront or on the many trails and parks that surround our community, you can always find the right place. And when the weather’s not suitable, there’s the indoor gym at the Peachland Community Centre.

We have few reasons not to go out for a walk, at less we have a medical limitation, of course. And we can all agree that exercise is beneficial, from improving heart rate variability, lowering blood pressure, improving your mood, flushing toxins from your body (via lymphatic stimulation), weight management and so the list goes on. In addition, the Harvard Medical School added a few research studies that are motivators, to say the least.

1. Walking counteracts the effects of 32 weight-promoting genes. The study used over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes contributed to increased weight and found that when those in the study walked briskly for 1/2 hr per day it cut the effects of those weight-promoting genes in 1/2.
2. Women who walked 7 or more hrs per week had a 14% reduced risk of breast cancer than those who walked just 3 hrs per week.
3. Walking eases joint pain that is due to arthritis when walking 5-6 miles per week. This is especially beneficial for the hips and knees that are more susceptible to osteoarthritis as walking tugs and lubricates connective tissue and strengthens the muscles supporting the joint.
4. Walking boosts your immune system. Out of the 1,000 men and women who were studied and walked 20 min per day for 5 days a week, it was found that they had 43% fewer sick days than those who only exercised 1 day per week. In addition, the duration of the illness was cut in half.

The University of Exeter also found that walking just 15 min reduced cravings for sweets. So if you’re craving that cookie, a 15 min walk can reduce the urge. Or eat the darn cookie and go for a 15 min walk. Lets face it, life’s too short. Sometimes you gotta eat the cookie.

Surprisingly our kidneys also move when we breath and especially when we’re walking because of our breathing pattern increasing. An average kidney can move 4.3 cm with each breath. But when we’re really breathing deeply our diaphragm initiates more movement and the left kidney has been known to move 6.6 cm, while the right can move 8.6cm!

That can be a good 1/2 a km or more a day that your kidney are doing their own walk!

Luckily for us, the weather’s getting better and the walking season is upon us. You’ll find some challenging trails and smooth walkways to suit your needs. The Peachland Tourism Guide has a selection of trails, and on June 7th, Peachland Wellness Centre will be hosting their annual family friendly, all age and ability, fundraiser event, “Walk for Wellness”. So, get your walking shoes on and take advantage of our community hotspots for some of the many health benefits that a good walk can do for you. And don’t forget to stretch afterward too!