Did you know that there’s one exercise that’s free, has the lowest drop-out rate of any physical activity, and just one hour a day can add two hours to a person’s life? Yes, I am talking about walking and this week, the American Heart Association launched “Start!“, a national campaign for individuals and employers to get people moving.

Supported by sponsors like Astra Zeneca, HealthyChoice and Subway, the Start! Walking Program is a literal wake-up call to Americans to start incorporating a regular exercise program into their daily lives. Walking - the brisk, heart-rate-raising kind - has numerous benefits other than weight-management, including the lowering of bad-cholesterol(LDL)-levels and high-blood-pressure while also reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Start! has something for both individuals and employers and is built around four key elements to help Americans live longer, heart-healthy lives:

1. MyStart! Online, a Web-based fitness and nutrition tracker, is the hub for a walking program that offers constant, measurable, personal improvement.
2. The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition Program officially recognizes employers that champion the health of their employees and work to create a culture of physical activity in the workplace. The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program has several key aspects to help companies embrace a culture of physical activity and wellness.
3. The Start! Walking Program encourages companies to promote walking at work and recognize and reward employees who move from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle. It is a key component for removing a significant barrier to regular exercise for millions of American workers.
4. A reinvigorated Start! Heart Walk, the American Heart Association’s premier fund-raiser, gives people an opportunity to improve their health through walking while helping fund the fight against heart disease and stroke.

Start! for Individuals is where a person can begin by creating an online profile for oneself called My Start! Online. The free online tool helps you enter your activities and what you ate for the day and gives you reports so you can adjust your balance of calories in vs out. You get to learn about the benefits of walking and how to get started on a walking program in the Start! Moving section which also includes a list of calories burned from various comparable activities (did you know that for the same amount of time, you burn more calories walking at 5mph than when using a push mower?!).

Finally, Start! Eating Right describes easy ways to make healthy choices like using at least as many calories as you take in and a guide on buying healthful foods when you shop next.

As a big proponent of making it easier for employees to incorporate fitness into their work schedule, I like the Start! for Employers program which encourages employers to set an example by making health a fitness and priority at the workplace, thereby increasing productivity and, more importantly, reducing the cost of healthcare. Start! Moving for Employers reveals encouraging studies that show the benefits of having a fitness program at work (for every $1 the average company spends on its worksite wellness program, it receives an average net benefit of $3.40 to $7.88!).

Companies can even sign-up for the “Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program” which awards employers for their commitment to increasing fitness awareness among its employees and making the workplace more amicable to individual efforts. These include things like providing a fitness center at work (and the time to use it!), walking trails around the company and healthful choices in the cafeteria menu.

All in all I think this effort is a step in the right direction although the success of any such program relies on the motivation of both individuals and employers to make a positive change in their lives. With problems like obesity and diabetes becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, we can use all the help we can get to help combat them.

Get Start!ed today.

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition, american heart association, start! walking program

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You have seen it all. The revolutionary Got Milk ad campaign. The silly white moustache on more celebrities than you could shake your tail feathers at. And now the new 2424milk campaign: “Drink Milk, Lose Weight”. So what’s the truth about this white liquid? Is it really a miracle food?

Believe you me: It is; but don’t get me wrong: If you really drink milk all day (especially the “whole” kind), you will not only not lose weight but add some artery-clogging saturated fat in the process. Here’s the skinny:

Milk is one of the best natural sources of a powerful combination of proteins and vitamins that you can lay your hands on. More and more studies show that this potent combination (and especially the calcium) help the body in burning fat and reduce the tendency to store fat.

In one recent study, researchers compared the effects of three different calorie-restricted diets on weight loss in overweight/obese adults. The participants who consumed at least 3 servings of milk or milk products a day (total calcium intake of 1,200-1,300 mg) lost significantly more weight and fat than those who took calcium supplements or consumed a low calcium diet (one or fewer glasses of milk). In fact, the people who consumed the equivalent of 24 ounces of milk each day, lost an average of 24 pounds in 24 weeks.

-Via Prairie Farms

But this is just a recently discovered “fringe benefit” of the calcium in milk. The major benefits of milk have not - and wont - change in a long time. Consider that milk contains:

1. a great amount of calcium. Infact it is one of the primary sources of calcium for a majority of adults. The building block for bone and teeth development, calcium is vital to prevent problems like osteoporosis in later years. A single cup of milk provides you with almost 25-30% of your required calcium.
2. Vitamin D and K - essential for bone health and calcium absorption.
3. B-vitamins such as B-12, niacin and riboflavin, (great for cardiocvascular health and essential for energy production from food) and thiamine (useful in cognitive functions, especially memory).
4. complete proteins: coming from an animal source, Milk contains all the essential amino acids for increasing lean body mass and building muscle. With one cup of skim milk having 9g of protein it’s no wonder serious athletes drink some serious milk!
5. Potassium to maintain blood pressure and regulate fluid balance in the body.

The key factor in milk consumption, however, is that whole milk has a sizable amount of saturated fat (a single cup has 8g of fat with 5g of it saturated). While this is OK for toddlers who are not breastfeeding, adults who get their fat from other sources should almost always be drinking 2% or if possible fat-free (skim) milk. The best part? All the great benefits of calcium, vitamins and protein are intact even in skim milk. Infact, given the removal of fat, skim milk has an extra gram of protein per cup.

If taste is an issue, consider mixing skim milk with your 2% milk and gradually increasing the percentage of skim milk until you get used to it. Try to drink atleast 3 cups (yes it’s a 2424 thing: 24 ounces in 24 hours).
Further reading:

• Milk’s Nine Essential Nutrients and 24 Ways To Get 24 Oz
• Nutrition facts from WhyMilk.
• Got Milk celebrities!

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition, milk, got milk

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