8 VITALITY Spring 2022 While it may not have the glamour of other fitness trends, a move you mastered in toddlerhood is still hard to beat. We’re talking about walking. What makes walking such a great fitness move? For starters, it’s easy and inexpensive. There’s no need to visit a gym, buy special equipment or learn a new sport. For the most part, all you need are shoes that fit well and cushion your feet. Then just follow your own two feet. Also, walking is generally safe. It’s less likely to hurt your joints than running, for instance. For reasons like these, walking has a low dropout rate. So you’re likely to keep doing it. Best of all, walking is great for your body and your well-being. Walking is a type of aerobic exercise (the kind that elevates your heart rate and breathing.) Among other things, aerobic exercise can: » Help you burn more calories for better weight control. » Improve the health of your heart and blood vessels, which may help lower your risk of heart disease. » Help you maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. » Help you prevent or manage type 2 diabetes. » Improve your fitness level, giving you the stamina to do everyday activities with greater ease. » Help you maintain strong bones. » Lower stress and elevate your mood. » Help you live longer. Losing weight is rarely fast and easy. So it may be tempting to try a product or diet that promises to make the process go quickly or claims you won’t have to change how you eat or exercise. Unfortunately, there are no magical solutions to safe and permanent weight loss. Real success means healthy, long-term lifestyle changes to diet and exercise habits. But with so many advertisers and scammers claiming these extraordinary weight-loss results, how can you sort out fact from fake? SCAMALERT According to the Federal Trade Commission, if you see any of the following in an ad or on a website, the promise is definitely a fake: » Lose weight without dieting, exercising or watching what you eat. » Use this product to drop weight permanently. » This pill makes you lose weight automatically. » Eat anything you want and still lose weight. » It works for everyone. » This cream or patch can help you lose weight. Step up to the benefits WALKING FOR EXERCISE WELLNESS Be wary of bogus weight-loss claims
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