Taking More Steps Every Day Can Help Ward Off Diabetes

ScienceDaily (2011-01-13) -- Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a new study.

Walking Speed and Survival Connected

Walking Correlates With Brain Volume, Cognitive Ability from MedPage Today

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

Seniors committed to walking had larger gray-matter volume and less cognitive impairment years later than those with more sedentary habits, researchers said.

Among 299 cognitively normal participants in the large Cardiovascular Health Study, those in the top quartile of distance walked each week at baseline had markedly higher gray-matter volumes when measured by MRI nine years later compared with participants in the lower three quartiles, according to Kirk Erickson, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues.
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Slow Walkers Three Times More Likely to Die From CVD

News Author: Lisa Nainggolan

A new study has shown that walking speed over 6 m in older people is predictive of cardiovascular mortality, with those in the slowest tertile three times more likely to suffer CV death over five years than those who walked faster [1]. Dr Julien Dumurgier (INSERM, Paris, France) and colleagues say this kind of walking test could be part of a general clinical assessment of those aged over 65; they report their findings online November 10, 2009 in BMJ.

"We found that old persons who walk slowly have an increased risk of death, in particular cardiovascular death; it's an easy message," second author, epidemiologist Dr Alexis Elbaz (INSERM), told heartwire . "This shows us the very important role of trying to maintain good fitness in older persons," he added.
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Brain function gets a boost from walking

Two new studies spell out benefits for people recovering from in strokes as well as for those 50 and older.

Regimens: Signs of Progress Long After Stroke

By ERIC NAGOURNEY Published: September 2, 2008, New York Times Even years after suffering a stroke, some patients may still see a significant improvement in their ability to walk with the right therapy

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities

Specific Requirements: In fiscal year 2007, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) input, developed A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities (Resident’s Guide), designed to be used by anyone who is looking for ways to improve the walkability of their neighborhood, whether they are just beginning to learn about walking safety or are already part of an established community safety group. The guide addresses all three E’s (education, enforcement and engineering) in its suggestions for problem identification, treatments and solutions. The purpose of the resultant Cooperative Agreement is to partner with a national organization that will partner with local governments or communities to award and manage up to 12 mini-grants that will pilot test the Resident’s Guide. Selected communities will assess its usefulness and completeness of the content, and identify necessary improvements or modifications to the content.

Study: Regular walking nearly halves elderly disability risk

Older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise program, according to a new University of Georgia study. The study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, also found that walking program participants increased their peak aerobic capacity by 19 percent when compared to a control group and increased their physical function by 25 percent.