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JUST
START WALKING
Empowering Ourselves and Our Communities in Healthier Lifestyles
By Ron
Kirk (biography)
 Introduction
There's power
in simplicity.
Mahatma
Gandhi spoke powerfully about becoming
the change that we wish to see in others
and in the world. Through his words
and his "walk," the father
of modern India inspired and changed
us all in many deep and lasting ways.
As a physical culture enthusiast setting
a healthy example, Gandhi walked several
miles every evening. He attributed his
physical stamina, through long years
of political struggle, to this simple
lifestyle habit begun while studying
law in the UK.
Simple lifestyle
changes are usually the most sustainable.
Over the course of a lifetime few activities
are more healthful and sustainable than
brisk walking. Walking costs us nothing,
yet can benefit our health physically,
mentally and socially. In the context
of Gandhi's regular habit of taking
brisk walks and the power of simplicity,
it's my pleasure to share the final
English version of Just
Start Walking with you - the transformational
leaders of physical and health education.
By simply
walking and working together, I believe
that we can effect sustainable health
improvement for many, and help to breakthrough
the sedentary malaise that afflicts
most adults in America today. Please
feel free to share Just Start Walking
with your students, your families, network
of friends, colleagues and organizations.
This program is cost-free and without
copyright. It may be adapted and translated
to fit local and national cultural contexts.
If you have any questions regarding
Just Start Walking, please
contact me at rkirk@life.edu.
Thank you for all of your efforts in
empowering your students and your communities
in healthy active lifestyles.
Why
Walking?
We are painfully
aware, across America and much of the
developed world, that the alarming trend
toward sedentary living and its attendant
disorders is silently escalating (1-2).
As physical and health educators, it
is our responsibility to set the example,
and lead in the promotion of healthy
activity. Excellent advocacy and organizational
work has led to significant successes,
yet leadership, advocacy, and action
for active lifestyles are needed as
never before (5-10).
In the US 66% of adults were overweight
or obese in 2004. This percentage is
projected to rise to 75% by the year
2015 with 41% of US adults being obese
(1).
In America,
the trend to inactivity is literally
killing us. Hypokinetic
diseases related to sedentary lifestyles
are the principal causes of mortality
and morbidity. Disorders such as cardiovascular
disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes,
diverse types of cancer, hypertension,
obesity, and depression are the leading
causes of death and disability. Inactivity
also increases risk for Alzheimer's
disease. (3-4)
Walking
Benefits
Numerous
studies indicate that walking has many
significant health promoting benefits
(11-22).
These benefits include physical health
improvements in individuals' spines,
joints, hearts, lungs, bones, brains
and immune systems (11-22).
Additionally, walking has been shown
to have mental health benefits including
amelioration
of depression and the improvement of
mood (11).
Walking also improves executive functions
of our brains. A randomized controlled
study conducted at the University of
Illinois indicated that a 6 month trial
of brisk walking (3 hours per week)
could significantly increase brain size
in previously sedentary individuals
60-79 years old (17).
Just
Start Walking Development
Just
Start Walking grew from a seed,
and the Delphi
panel consensus process began in 2009.
Initially a nine person seed panel,
which included physical educators, refined
the original draft module of John
Hyland DC, MPH. Then 96 Delphi panelists
from distinguished partnering institutions
& organizations around the globe
shaped the program through an electronic
Delphi consensus feedback process using
Zoomerang
e-surveys. A similar process was
used to develop the Straighten
Up activity module, which has now
been translated into 15 languages.
Individuals
who participated on the Delphi panel
for Just Start Walking included:
college and university presidents, chief
academic officers, researchers, chief
clinical officers, leaders of Clusters
of the World
Health Organization, the International
Red Cross, the Bone
and Joint Decade and the United
States Bone and Joint Decade, the
WFC,
ACC,
ICA,
ACA,
the World
Federation for Mental Health, NGO
Alliance for Health Promotion, Solar
Cookers International and many other
organizations and the public.
Based on
Delphi input (and after consulting with
the Canadian
Society for Exercise Physiology
Headquarters) we have also included
a complete "PAR-Q
- and You Physical Activity Readiness
Questionaire" for pre-activity
risk screening. I personally use this
form in experiential health promotion
classes to assess for risk before individuals
engage in activity programs. We have
made the PAR-Q
available for you or your organization's
use as an activity readiness screening
tool.
We are very
enthusiastic about Just Start Walking!
So are many global health leaders. Grace
Lo Yuen Fong RN, MPH, Manager of
the Community Health and Social Services
Unit of the International Federation
of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
affirms, "The presentation on Just
Start Walking - it works for me as a
motivator and reminder. There is really
nothing new about the contents in the
presentation, but somehow, when I was
reading it, it seemed to say to me 'Come
on, walking is easy. You should do it
more regularly to take care of your
own health.' The point is one can start
today, now, without too much planning
or preparation."
Jose
Martines MD, PhD, a Delphi panel
member and Coordinator of the Children's
Health and Development Department of
the World Health Organization is very
enthusiastic about the program. "Just
Start Walking is a valuable initiative
and I like the stepwise approach taken.
I like the way of integrating the exercise
into other daily activities and the
promotion of practices that have benefits,
also, for mental health."
Just
Start Walking's potential benefit
will become power to the degree by which
we put it into action. As never before
people in the US and around the globe
need to become more active for physical
and mental well-being. It's that simple.
Just Start Walking!
Here's
How to Begin
First, start
walking yourself (unless you have a
physical limitation that prevents you).
This is the necessary first step. Set
a time and place, and if possible recruit
friends. Like Gandhi, make regular walking
a habit. Next share the program with
family members, colleagues and students.
Once you have piloted the program and
have built momentum, we recommend networking
and sharing Just Start Walking
with supportive organizations such as
the PTA and YMCA/YWCA. Where possible
involve community leaders to establish
broadly-based community involvement.
Identifying key committed leaders with
public trust, and cultural authority
is critical to the sustainable success
of your advocacy efforts.
In community
and organizational forums, discussions
and dialogues, work to establish openness,
inclusiveness, mutuality and respect.
We are all in this inactivity conundrum
together, and it is time to face our
health challenges collectively. We are
already a predominantly sedentary society.
If we wish to see change, we must become
the change. This is the proven formula
for sustainable success.
We welcome
you to join us in this active effort!
Thank you for all of your great work
as health promotion leaders! If you
wish to participate in the Delphi process
for additional activity modules please
email me at rkirk@life.edu.
It's worth it and we can do it!
- Ron
Ron Kirk MA, DC
Professor Life University
United States Bone and Joint Decade
WHO Network of Experts for Stress Reduction
in the Work-Place
NGO Alliance for Health Promotion
references
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