Your April Healthy Habit Resolution: Walk Just 15 Minutes A Day
Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 01, 2014 -- Dr. Katalenas, a pediatrician and author of The Step Up Diet in Austin, Texas challenges patients in April to walk for just 15 minutes every day as a way to fit exercise into their daily lives. This tip is part of her 2014 Monthly New Year’s resolution challenge where she provides a list of healthy habits that families can learn each month to become healthier by the end of the year.
"The key to solving the epidemic of obesity and heart disease resides in parents with young families making changes in lifestyle," Dr. Katalenas says. She believes that pediatricians and family physicians must also take responsibility by informing, training and advising young parents so that healthy habits start from the very beginning and provides tips on her website for making walking fun and safe.
The American Heart Association recommends exercising for 30 minutes every day. However, the exercise can be broken down into segments of 10 to 15 minutes.
Exercising for just 15 minutes can still be beneficial and add to weight loss. Your body still has burned calories that it wouldn't have burned. If you are on a low calorie diet, your body still will be burning fat as it doesn't have enough calories to get through the day. Your body replaces the burned glycogen either through the calories you eat or through breaking down some stored fat.
Chi-Pang Wen, MD, MPH, DrPH, of National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan and China Medical University Hospital, and Jackson Pui Man Wai, PhD, of National Taiwan Sport University, and their colleagues assessed the benefits of a range of physical activity levels. The study found that those patients who exercised for an average of 92 minutes per week (about 15 minutes a day), had a 14% reduced risk of death, a 10% reduced risk of dying of cancer and on average a three year longer life expectancy. So implementing a daily walk as a part of your exercise routine can lead to a longer, healthier life.
Dr. Katalenas’ list of monthly resolutions that the whole family can adopt is on her website at http://www.DrKatalenas.com and she includes a printable flyer for download that she encourages parents to post on their refrigerator, helping families keep on track in the new year.
About Dr. Katalenas
Dr. Marta Katalenas is a board certified pediatrician and owner of the Pediatric Center of Round Rock. She is a public speaker and author of the book "The Step Up Diet: From Scratch… The Quality, Quantity, and Timing Solution to Childhood Obesity," a guide to healthy cooking and eating for busy families.
Melissa Shea, Pediatric Center of Round Rock, http://www.pediatriccenterofroundrock.com/, +1 (512) 799-0217, [email protected]
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