When we think of exercise we think of sweaty behemoths in a gym or tight and toned runners covering marathon distances. That's the perception of what we have to be when we choose to get moving. It's time to change the perception and get real about what really can work for you if you want to feel better, improve your mental sharpness, and improve your health.

Researchers with LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center have done a study that shows walking, even if it's just ten minutes of walking, every day can be a major player in improving the quality of your life.

The study focused on 464 women. Those women were asked to walk for 72 minutes per week. If you break that down, it's ten minutes per day. They were asked to maintain that behavior for a six-month time frame.

Dr. Tim Church explained what researchers discovered to the Louisiana Radio Network.

Ten minutes a day improved individuals quality life related to stress and anxiety, quality of life-related to how they feel in social situations and quality of life-related to energy levels.

Let's be real here. This study group was not too particularly concerned with losing weight as an outcome. If your plan is to drop pounds and inches you would most likely need to consult your doctor about a more strenuous and aggressive exercise strategy.

Still having less stress and better energy all because of a ten-minute walk seems like a great outcome if you ask me. The good news is we can all manage to work a ten-minute walk into our day. Remember,  you're not going for a gold medal or a world's record. You are doing this for you and I think you are worth way more than ten minutes.

 

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