It’s no surprise that kids don’t exercise, but the first national survey documented exactly how inactive American children are. In 2008, the U.S. government issued its first guidelines for physical activity, based on studies indicating which exercises people should try and how long they should be active in order to improve their health. The recommendations…
One third of the planet is now obese or overweight, according to a new report. The number of obese or overweight people in the developing world nearly quadrupled from 250 million to 904 million between 1980 and 2008, according to a study published this month by a UK think tank. Over the same period obesity…
“The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot” by Robert Macfarlane caps off a trilogy of books that examine the subtle links between landscape, history and the imagination. Having already ventured into wilds, high and low, this third book focuses on the ancient routes and countless communal pathways that mark the world, connecting people to places, one…
Arun Agarwal, 65, walks to buy groceries every day. He does it because he likes it. Shopping is his excuse to leave the car at home in his suburban Don Mills neighbourhood so he can hit the sidewalks for up to 10 kilometres per week. Mr. Agarwal could be the poster child for Toronto Chief…
African tribesmen walk through their landscape in a pattern that eerily echoes the movements of scavenging birds, flocking insects, gliding sharks and visitors to Disneyland, a new study finds, suggesting that aspects of how we choose to move around in our world are deeply hard-wired. For the new study, which appeared online recently in Proceedings of…
I can’t believe it’s almost New Year’s Eve. Hopefully you’ve all had a good year and the future is looking bright. For those of you who have followed this blog over the years you know I am always looking out for my readers, worried about your well-being, and encouraging you to get organized and plan…
“The Walking Revolution” airs this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on 11Alive. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other has significant health benefits that are explored in “The Walking Revolution,” a new documentary film by Every Body Walk! airing this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on 11Alive (WXIA-TV). Powered by Kaiser Permanente, Every Body…
Lisa Jones knows what walking can do. Jones, of New Orleans, joined a walking group about a year and a half ago. She enjoyed both the social and fitness aspects of the workout, lost seven pounds and then did what a lot of people do. She quit. When Jones went in for her physical recently,…
The founders of GirlTrek are channeling African-American heritage to tackle the health crisis among black women. The trouble started in grade school. Mom had changed shifts at the local hosiery factory. Dad was working long hours as a mechanic. Big brother had left town after enlisting in the Army. So Vonda Vass Summers would come…
Exercise can be helpful for those living with cancer. Health Reporter Helen Rae takes a look at a North East walking scheme Most people know the importance of incorporating regular exercise into their fitness regime to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Yet when someone is struck down with a life-changing illness it can make it…