It is Time to #Walk30

En español

Walking is a part of life that gets us from one place to another, but what if walking served another purpose? It can have a positive impact on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as fasting glucose level, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.

So how much should we walk to improve our cardiovascular disease risk?

Although reaching 10,000 steps is a popular goal, studies show that you can achieve the benefits of walking with fewer daily steps. According to a study recently published in Nature Medicine, 8,000-9,000 steps were enough to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Reaching the recommended step count may seem challenging, there are some easy things you can do throughout the day to begin working towards this goal. Instead of taking elevators or escalators, walk up and down the stairs. Park further away from an entrance. Take a morning or evening walk. If you have a dog, take a longer walk than usual.

Working to achieve a higher daily step count is an excellent goal. Knowing exactly how many steps you are taking and keeping track of your progress can make achieving this goal easier. A wearable fitness tracking device can help you track your steps. Your phone can also log your daily step count via the Samsung Health app on Samsung devices, the Health app on Apple devices, or other similar apps. In addition to monitoring your steps, tracking devices can help keep you accountable and motivate you to engage in more walking and physical activity.

Let’s Take it One Step at a Time Together… #WALK30

To simplify this even further, we suggest walking 30 minutes a day to reach the weekly activity recommendations for adults.

The US Centers for Disease Control recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity every week. Following these guidelines can contribute to overall health, and decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

To walk our talk, and resonate this message, The Texas Heart Institute (THI) is partnering with Fit Houston to promote #WALK30, a health campaign that encourages you to walk 30 minutes a day.

Learn more about the campaign here and take the #Walk30 pledge. Be sure to follow our social media feeds for daily health tips from our experts.

Until Next Time!

Stephanie Coulter, MD

Read Straight Talk Archives

Straight Talk by Dr. Stephanie, demystifies women’s heart issues in over 40 different e-newsletters that address current topics and research relate to women and heart disease, aiming to separate fact from fiction. En espanol

Thank you to Symone Taylor for her contributions to this issue of Straight Talk

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Visit www.FitHouston.org to learn more about the movement to get Houstonians walking in 2023 — together!