A study shows that people who walk three times a week or more experience slower progression of peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD causes leg pain as a result of decreased arterial blood flow.The study examined over 400 women and men aged 55 and older, and found that those who walked for exercise three or more times a week were able to maintain walking speed and distance better than those who did not.
As many as 12 million patients suffer from PAD, although up to 75 percent of them show no symptoms. The disease is more prevalent among African-Americans; only a small percentage of African-American study participants walked for exercise three or more times a week.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a serious condition that is becoming progressively more common for baby boomers and the elderly. This condition increases leg pain making it very difficult to walk and obtain the exercise you need, thus contributing to a progressively increasing downhill cycle.
If you have PAD, you also have a six- to seven-fold increase in your risk of death from heart attack or stroke.
If you are over the age of 70, are over 50 and have a history of smoking or have diabetes mellitus, you are at risk of PAD and should consider adding walking to your routine.
If losing a serious amount of weight is your goal, however, walking should only be a part of your regimen, and you need to be devoting at least 60-90 minutes to exercise every day.
Fortunately PAD, like nearly every other chronic disease, responds marvelously well to the Total Health Program. Your body was designed to move toward health and away from disease -- as long as you provide it with the foundational building blocks it needs and avoid most toxins and poisons, which can sabotage your body's ability to repair itself.
So, eating the best diet, based on your body's unique nutritional type, is an important tool, along with exercise, to help restore your body to optimal health.