- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Combating Myths About Seasonal Allergies
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- Acupuncture Eases Side Effects of Head, Neck Cancer Treatments
- Quit Smoking the Holistic Way
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- BONES & JOINTS
- Living Near Major Road May Boost Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
- A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones
- A Winning Strategy to Beat Spring Sporting Injuries
- CANCER
- Well Water Might Raise Bladder Cancer Risk
- Supplements Might Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Initiate Cancer Development
- CAREGIVING
- New Guidelines for Treating Heart Failure
- Injected Medication Errors a Major Problem
- Exercise During Pregnancy May Help Baby
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- An Apple a Day May Help Keep Heart Disease Away
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- Support Network May Play Role in Benefits of Drinking
- COSMETIC
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Acid Drinks Blamed for Increase in Tooth Erosion
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- Sports Drinks May Be Tough on Teeth
- DIABETES
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Patients' Photos Help Boost Radiologists' Accuracy
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Vitamin D Vital for the Heart
- Eat Light - Live Longer
- Fruit Even Healthier Than Thought: Study Shows
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Vitamin D Deficit May Trigger MS Risk Gene
- Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
- Environmental Chemicals May Affect Male Reproduction
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Problems, Hearing Loss May Be Linked
- Brain Pressure More Likely to Cause Vision Loss in Men
- Certain Diabetes Drugs May Pose Eye Risk
- FITNESS
- Simple Exercise Precautions To Help Keep Baby Boomers Fit
- Eating Well And Keeping Active As You Grow Old Will Help You Stay Sharp
- Daily Exercise at School Yields Rewards
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Swine Flu Fatality Rate a 'Little Bit' Higher Than That of Seasonal Flu
- Common Social Groups and Race, Seem to Help People Relate
- Heart Disease May Be Prevented By Taking Fish Oils, Study Shows
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids Can Be Good for You
- An Apple a Day May Help Keep Heart Disease Away
- Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- Hand Washing 10 Times a Day May Help Keep Flu Away
- Dry Weather Boosts Odds of Flu Outbreaks
- KID'S HEALTH
- Plastics Chemical Tied to Aggression in Young Girls
- Help Your Kids Stay Active
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- Using the Mind to Heal the Heart
- Green Spaces Boost the Body and the Mind
- PAIN
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- Exercise Benefits Even the Oldest Old
Simple Steps Get Walkers Moving
By eHolistic.com Published: 11/09/2009
(HealthDay News) -- Simple measures such as starting a walking group or creating pedestrian-friendly routes can encourage people to walk more, a new study has found.
At a multicultural housing site in Seattle, researchers implemented and evaluated several interventions meant to increase residents' walking, including sponsoring walking groups, improving walking routes, offering information about walking options and advocating for pedestrian safety.
After the measures were implemented, self-reported walking among walking group members increased from 65 minutes to 108 minutes a day, according to the study published online Nov. 4 in the American Journal of Public Health.
"The built environment influences opportunities for physical activity through access to trails, parks, recreation centers and walkable streets, as does the social environment, such as having opportunities to walk with others," the researchers wrote.
Community design should take into account ways to encourage walking, the study authors noted, and interventions to change people's behavioral habits need to be considered.
