Healthy living begins with small steps

When many of us think about health and fitness, our thoughts turn too quickly to gymnasiums full of sweaty bodies attempting impossible feats of strength and endurance. Certainly fitness centres play a valuable role in many people’s lives, but they are not the be-all and end-all of healthy living and can be intimidating. If you are unhealthy, there is no way that a one-off trip to the gym will magically turn your life around. As with most things worth having in life, fitness cannot be achieved overnight, it must be created incrementally.

On Sunday, The National will launch its #startwalking challenge to help readers begin a better life with the simplest of all exercises. Using the #startwalking and #healthyliving hashtags on social media, and a dedicated website, getmoving.co/startwalking, we are encouraging people to purchase a fitness tracking device and to aim to take 10,000 steps a day, which is considered a reasonable goal for people wishing to improve their health. That target can be achieved in a variety of ways, including walks to work or around your neighbourhood, the use of a treadmill, or through ordinary, everyday tasks. You can add to your steps tally by doing the housework or by conducting business meetings on foot, West Wing-style.

The campaign will last for the month of March, which is a perfect time to step outdoors – especially early in the morning and in the evening. Of course, you don’t have to stop exercising when the summer heat sets in – just find an indoor venue. A brisk walk around the mall is just as good for you as one along the Corniche.

While we are offering prizes to people who participate in the challenge, the rewards of light exercise go a lot further than the chance to win shopping vouchers. The American Heart Association says that walking for 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, help maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity, enhance mental well-being, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Not everyone will go on to heavy workouts and running marathons, but many participants will lose some weight and feel better within themselves simply by maintaining a daily tally of 10,000 steps. Are you up to the challenge?