The road to better health starts with the first step

Did you know what one of the best forms of exercise doesn’t require any fancy equipment, special clothes or training, or even a gym membership? In fact, it’s something you have already been doing since you were about a year old. Yes, I am talking about walking.

Walking has been called "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug," according to Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “But I don’t have time to do 10,000 steps every day!” To walk that much would take the average person about two hours every day and, truth be told, you don’t need that many steps to reap the benefits.

Ideally, you should aim for at least half an hour a day, five days a week. You can break this up into shorter time periods, too, if you like. For anyone just starting a walking routine or with health limitations, it may be easier to do three 10 minute walks or two 15 minutes walks.

Besides burning some extra calories, walking offers a whole bunch of benefits to your overall health. It is great for your heart and joints, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, reduces stress (don’t we all need that), improves sleep, helps regulate blood pressure and can even strengthen muscles.

I recently came across an article from Harvard researchers where they looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in more than 12,000 people. The study was to determine just how much these genes contribute to body weight. You know what they discovered? Among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

Another study from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can tame your sweet tooth and curb cravings for sugary treats.

Want to avoid getting sick this winter? Yet another study of more than 1,000 people found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, five or more days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised one day a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration with milder symptoms.

Oh, and there is one more benefit. We live in one of the most picturesque places in the country with beautiful backroads, gorgeous mountain views, peaceful hiking trails, lovely parks and villages, and scenic riverfronts. Greene County is the perfect place to get outside!

If you need some more motivation, the Greene Walks Contest kicks off on September 6. It’s an eight-challenge sponsored by the Greene County Rural Health Network that offers cash prizes, motivation, support, four in-person guided walks and a free t-shirt. You can sign up on our website at https://greenehealthnetwork.com/greene-walks-2/#trails.

So, whatever your reason for walking, the road to better health starts with the first step.

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Jordan Neves is the executive director of the Greene County Rural Health Network, a Catskill-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1996 with a mission to improve health services across rural Greene County, NY. The Network connects healthcare providers, local businesses, and community members to address pressing health needs through more than 25 specialized programs, with a focus on addiction, nutrition, and preventive screenings.

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