Featured Health Observance.  April is Cancer Control Month. Since 1938, this annual proclamation has given Americans an opportunity to focus on advances against cancer, as well as, rededicate themselves to fighting the disease both through research and prevention.  President Obama observed:

“As researchers work daily to better understand this disease, Americans can take steps to decrease their risk of developing cancer. Individuals of all ages should seek regular and appropriate check-ups. These check-ups should include [Common Screening Tests], such as mammograms, the Pap test, and tests for colorectal cancer, all of which can help detect cancer during its early stages.  Healthy personal habits can also reduce the risk of cancer. Smoking accounts for thousands of cancer deaths every year, and quitting — even after many years — can greatly reduce the risk of cancer. Physical inactivity and obesity may cause a substantial proportion of colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal cancers in the United States, so maintaining physical activity and a healthy diet can help prevent cancer, among other diseases. Finally, moderating alcohol intake and sun exposure can help protect Americans.”

In keeping with the broader concept of primary prevention and leading lives filled with health promoting activities, enBloom will also feature the following health observances this month so keep an eye out for ways to take part and educate yourself around these issues.

• April  1-30.  National Donate Life Month (This month’s first Friday feature is a continuation of the February discussion of National Donor Day and March discussion of World Kidney Day.)
• April 16.  National Healthcare Decision Day
• April 19-25.  National Minority Cancer Awareness Week

Source: National Cancer Control Month, 2009. In The White House Blog. Available at<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-Marking-National-Cancer-Control-Month/>

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Fitness Friday. If a journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step, this might be the next step (at least for walkers).  Last month, I discussed walking as one of the easiest and most reliable forms of physical activity to incorporate into a fitness lifestyle.  Another key to staying active is setting goals and staying motivated.  Pedometers (digital devices that count steps) are excellent devices for reaching fitness goals in aerobic (or cardio) activity*. Yet, it wasn’t until recently (November 2007) that scientist conducted the research that proves this.  The physician Dena Bravata led a group of Stanford University scientists in a systemic review of studies that used pedometers to increase physical activity and ultimately improve health.  In their research, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they concluded that pedometer usage combined with specific goal setting and exercise logs resulted in significant increases in physical activity.  Previously sedentary patients increased their physical activity by nearly an additional mile of walking per day.  More importantly, they found a significant reduction in blood pressure.  A reduction associated with decreasing the risk of stroke in middle-aged patients in previous studies.

The best way to add a pedometer to your walking program is to first count, then assess, your daily steps after one full week of use to establish your baseline.  You then increase that number incrementally. For many of us,10,000 steps a day (roughly the equivalent of 5 miles) is a lofty goal.  You might enjoy The 20% Boost Program at pbs.org because it helps you gradually build up from your baseline.  A pedometer when combined with goal-setting is an easy way to track your progress and also motivate you to stay active on a given day until you’ve met your goal.  Dr. Bravata and her colleges concluded:

“Despite the abundance of lay literature on the use of pedometers, our study is the first published synthesis of the evidence. Our results suggest that the use of these small, relatively inexpensive devices is associated with significant increases in physical activity and improvements in some key health outcomes, at least in the short term. The extent to which these results are durable over the long term is unknown.”

Who among you uses exercise logs or diaries?  How do logs and goal-setting help you get the most out of your walking workout?  Leave me a comment sharing the ways you’ve discovered to get an urban (or suburban) aerobics workout.  The best comment will win a pedometer. (Comments will close on Friday, April 3.)

*Note:  The American College of Sports Medicine and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans each advise adults to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity no less than 5 days of the week

Sources:

Bravata, D.M., Smith-Spangler, C. et al. Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health:  A Systematic Review [Electronic Version]. JAMA. 2007;298(19):2296-2304. Available at <http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/19/2296#AUTHINFO>

The 20% Boost Program: Fit Walking into Your Life.  In America’s Walking: Personal Health & Fitness.  Cited March 27, 2009.  Available at <http://www.pbs.org/americaswalking/health/health20percentboost.html>

Chapter 4:  Active Adults. In Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [Electronic Version]. Cited March 27, 2009.  Available at  <http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/guidelines/chapter4.aspx>

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Tomorrow, March 12 is World Kidney Day. Last month we discussed how heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. Unfortunately, too few Americans realize that chronic kidney disease is another life-threatening illness that often goes undetected until it reaches very advanced stages. Two common conditions that can lead to or exacerbate chronic kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes. Take some time on World Kidney Day to learn more about what your kidneys do for you and what you can do for your kidneys (to keep them healthy). Also, don’t forget as we focus on nutrition this month that both high blood pressure and type II diabetes can be significantly controlled, if not alleviated with the right type of diet and regular moderate to intense physical activity (consult your doctor for specific recommendations).

Learn More:

Take these 6 Steps for protecting your kidneys and your health.

10 Facts about Diabetes and Kidney Disease

10 Facts about High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease

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Fitness Friday. Last month in the debut post of this series, I emphasized the importance of integrating fitness routines into your lifestyle for lasting success. Walking is an ideal fitness choice for several reasons. Walking

• Can be done almost anywhere
• Has a low-impact on the body
• Requires no practice
• Requires no equipment (save a good comfortable pair of shoes)
• and it’s FREE

There are also several essential health benefits from lowering your blood pressure to strengthening back muscles and bones. This is great because it extends your mobility and independence as you age. In fact, the original Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health (1996) found that the most popular leisure-time physical activities among adults were walking and gardening/yard work. I personally enjoy walking because it fits easily into what I’ve come to call urban aerobics. Fooling myself into getting that heart rate up works better for me than a dedicated work out where I have nothing to do but think, “ok I’m working out now…breath rate…increasing…heart rate…quickening”. With urban aerobics, I walk to the Metro station. Often I’ll choose the next closest metro (rather than the closest). It also includes taking the stairs or walking while on the escalator. Walking to the corner market and the local grocery store are also frequent activities. The key is to keep moving briskly for no less than a 10-minute duration. What I’m describing is consistent with the Surgeon General’s recommendation to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week. Enough, that is to reduce your risk for disease and help you lead a longer, healthier life. You may have even heard that walking 10,000 steps in a day (roughly the equivalent of 5 miles) is one such way to achieve this goal.

from MayoClinic.com

Getting started

As an old proverb states, the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Taking that step now to initiate and maintain a walking fitness routine can set you on the path toward many of the health benefits discussed earlier. The professionals at the Mayo Clinic have a few recommendations to get your walking routine started.

• Begin gradually by walking only as far or as fast as you find comfortable. Then, over several weeks’ time, you can gradually work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of walking most days each week.
• Use proper technique by using the correct posture and movements is essential. (Take a minute to study the photo above.)
• Measure the intensity of your workout. As you walk, measure the intensity of your workout by checking your heart rate. Knowing your heart rate allows you to increase the intensity to maximize your workout or slow down to avoid overdoing it.

For even more on fitness and walking, check out The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness on the bookshelf (widget) to the right. As you work walking into your fitness routine, please share with me the ways you’ve discovered to get an urban (or suburban) aerobics workout.

Sources:

1996 Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health at www.cdc.gov 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans at www.health.gov and Walking for fitness: How to trim your waistline, improve your health at MayoClinic.com

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Today is Yoga Day USA. An annual event sponsored by the Yoga Alliance where hundreds of yoga teachers and schools offer free or nearly free yoga workshops to Americans across the country.

Thousands of Americans — the young and old, the flexible and not-so-flexible, athletes and couch potatoes and those of every heritage will discover, rediscover or continue with their current practice through a workshop perfect for them.

Find a workshop near you.

Source: http://www.yogadayusa.org