Cee is for Commitment

For this month of February, I have determined to walk every day. Notice how I chose the shortest month of the year? Despite my cowardice (another cee word), today is day seven of my latest resolve. Eating habits--pssshhh. Forget them. One good habit at a time.


So for the last week, I've walked each day for about a half hour. Totaled, that's 3.5 hours in a week, or 210 minutes.


Usually I'm accompanied by Ausker, the family dog, as we trek our usual route at no set time of day. Sometimes morning, typically afternoon, rarely at night; although the night sky is a treat to behold. :) Yesterday I was joined by my SIL; another walk had my Beloved holding my hand with each step.


I also turned to social media to hold me accountable and gave my Facebook contacts permission to encourage me in this simple challenge. They haven't disappointed me and have been faithful and creative in prodding me off the couch and computer to get me moving. I especially liked one friend's comment: "Move, maggot, move!"


So what do I hope to accomplish with this month-long physical activity? It will amount to 870 minutes of walking time--14.5 hours spent with putting one foot in front of the other, breathing in gaspy lungfuls of oxygen, rejuvenating my circulatory system.


I hope it also sets in motion a healthy habit that I maintain for the rest of my life. 


According to medicinenet.com, the top 10 reasons to walk are:



1. Walking prevents type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7 percent of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58 percent.


2. Walking strengthens your heart if you're male. In one study, mortality rates among retired men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice that among those who walked more than two miles per day.


3. Walking strengthens your heart if you're female. Women in the Nurse's Health Study (72,488 female nurses) who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35 percent compared with women who did not walk.


4. Walking is good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!


5. Walking is good for your bones. Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.


6. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47 percent.


7. Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer. Women who performed the equivalent of one hour and 15 minutes to two and a half hours per week of brisk walking had an 18 percent decreased risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer, and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality.


8. Walking improves fitness. Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness.


9. Walking in short bouts improves fitness, too! A study of sedentary women showed that short bouts of brisk walking (three 10-minute walks per day) resulted in similar improvements in fitness and were at least as effective in decreasing body fatness as long bouts (one 30-minute walk per day).


10. Walking improves physical function. Research shows that walking improves fitness and physical function and prevents physical disability in older persons.


I'm not looking to lose weight with this commitment, although it would be a great side affect :) My objective is simple: to become more active.