“I’m a strong believer in the power of walking and that’s why I literally prescribe it to my patients as front-line medicine – often in place of medications,” says Bob Sallis, M.D., a SoCal family physician with Kaiser Permanente promoting their new Every Body Walk! campaign. I like to get behind a good public health effort, even when it’s sponsored by a giant corporation. And this effort is showing off some scary statistics:
- More than 70% of adults in the U.S. lead sedentary lifestyles.
- Our country spends more than $2.5 trillion a year on medical care.
- Around 80% of that cash goes to treat chronic conditions that can be prevented or treated by regular walking.
Those conditions include diabetes, heart disease and depression. In an effort to get everyone off their seats, Kaiser has created EverybodyWalk.org, a site with tips about starting a walking program, walking groups and paths, inspirational videos and places for regular folks to share their stories. There’s a BMI calculator, and even a link to Pandora Fitness Radio, for tunes to take along with you. My dog and I hike every morning, sometimes while it’s still dark. What are you waiting for?
Tags: depression, Fitness, heart disease, obesity, walking