Walk toward better health with your Home Care Package and make new friends too

Walktober is an annual event in the month of October to raise awareness about the many benefits of walking.

If you can devote 15-20 minutes a day for a brisk walk, it’s enough to provide many benefits to your health and wellbeing. A good stretch before and after is important to keep your muscles supple and responsive.

The best part about walking? You can walk at anytime, anywhere and it’s free!

You can also join our “Walk n Talk” programs, where we walk, talk, enjoy the scenery, improve our fitness and have a wonderful social time too. Or we can arrange a one on one regular walking exercise plan with your home care worker. More about this further below.

Walking for 15 minutes a day for 5 days a week provides many benefits

Walking improves balance and coordination through increasing strength and flexibility

Exercise that builds strength and flexibility such as walking will improve your balance and coordination. Walking can become difficult as you get older if you don’t keep it up regularly. Your joints get stiffer and muscle mass reduces, making it more painful to exercise. The best remedy is to maintain exercise, and walking is an excellent option because not only does it make your fitter, it’s a wonderful way to connect with others.

Walking reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, cholesterol and high blood pressure

According to the Heart Foundation of Australia, walking for as little as ten minutes a day improves your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease, a heart attack and stroke.

Walking prevents and manages diabetes

We’re meant to be active, sitting less and moving about more. Being too sedentary not only seizes up your joints and stiffens your muscles, it also increases your risk of health problems. Walking has been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Walking improves mood and reduces depression

A short and brisk fifteen minute walk can help to lift your mood reduce feelings of depression. In this study, women who did 200 minutes weekly of walking found they had more energy and felt emotionally better. Walking can become a good habit to have. You can start with a shorter walk to the local shops regularly and increase your walking distance from there.

Walking helps you manage your weight

Moderate walking will help manage your weight whereas a brisk walk regularly will help you to lose weight. Talk to one of our physiotherapists about a suitable walking pace and program that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Walking maintains your bone density

Walking contributes to stronger bones. When you walk you are carrying your own weight which is weight bearing. Weight bearing exercises build strength and maintain bone density.

You might like to try one of our chair-based exercise classes

Our clients love chair-based exercise classes -they are both fun and social! Chair-based exercises are a range of movements which are done while sitting in a chair. The exercises improve strength, flexibility and stamina, and help our clients live independently for longer.

Join St Louis Walk n Talk Program: socialise, make new friends and get fitter

Please phone St Louis Home Care to talk to our social and home care coordinators about how your home care package will help you live at home for longer. Our friendly team offer support to improve and maintain your health, and will also look at how you can enjoy the benefits of being active in our social programs.

You might like to start by joining our walking program, a chair-based exercise class, or a hydrotherapy class.

Call St Louis Home Care in Adelaide in 08 8332 0950 or St Louis Home Care in Victor Harbor on 08 8552 1481 for more information or to book into a class.

Want to learn more?