8 Benefits of Walking

8 benefits of Walking

If you read my blog regularly you know I am enthusiastic proponent of walking. Walking has benefited my life in so many ways. I feel better, I think clearly, I bond with my puppy dog and I make friends in the airport. If you don’t walk every day, start walking today for just a few minutes. I walk now but before I started walking every day I said, “I can’t walk because: I am tired. I don’t have time, my back hurts, my feet hurt, I don’t have the energy, the weather is bad, I don’t have the right shoes, my face gets sunburned easily, It gets dark to early, It gets hot to early, I have too much to do, I don’t want to. I still have my, “I don’t want to.” days, but I put back on my tennis shoes and get out there the next one.

I read this online today

It deflects diabetes

New research links brisk walking to a significant risk reduction for developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a predictor of this disease, even in people with normal glucose levels. But a recent British study found that people with a family history of the disease that walked briskly, or performed some other type of moderate to vigorous activity on a routine basis, improved insulin sensitivity.

It soups up your sex life

Sex and exercise go hand-in-hand. In a study of women between 45 and 55 years old, those who exercised, including brisk walking, reported not only greater sexual desire, but better sexual satisfaction, too.

It saves on gym costs

In this icky economy, people are cutting excesses, and that includes trips to the health club. In an American Heart Association survey, a quarter of the 1,000 people questioned had axed their gym memberships sometime in the previous six months. But no matter where you live, there’s a place you can pound the pavement or trek a trail, and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity walking a week can help manage stress and prevent heart disease. Moderate walking equals an average of about 100 steps per minute. San Diego State University researchers suggest using a pedometer and aiming for 1,000 steps in 10 minutes, and working up to 3,000 steps in 30 minutes.

It can get you off meds

Using data from the National Walkers’ Health Study, including more than 32,000 women and 8,000 men, researchers found that those who took the longest weekly walks, not necessarily accumulated the most mileage per week, were more likely to use less medication. This shouldn’t deter you from taking shorter walks more frequently throughout the week, but you should consider squeezing in a longer walk once a week, perhaps on the weekend when you have more spare time.

It can help relieve fibromyalgia pain

This chronic condition affects more than 4 percent of the population, and often involves pain, fatigue, and brain fog. A small study found that in women 32 to 70 years old, those who walked 60 minutes, performed light exercises, and stretched three times a week for 18 weeks reported significant improvements in walking and mental capacity, and were less tired and depressed.

It helps you beat breast cancer

It helps you beat breast cancer. Women who walk regularly after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a 45 percent greater chance of survival than those who are inactive, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Yale researchers heading up the study also found that those who exercised in the year before being diagnosed were 30 percent more likely to survive, compared to women who didn’t exercise leading up to their diagnosis.

Strolling reduces stroke risk

Walking briskly for just 30 minutes, five days a week can significantly lower your risk of suffering a stroke, according to University of South Carolina researchers. After studying 46,000 men and 15,000 women over the course of 18 years, those with increased fitness levels associated with regular brisk walking had a 40 percent lower risk of suffering a stoke than those with the lowest fitness level.

It can save your mind

It can save your mind. Italian researchers enlisted 749 people suffering from memory problems in a study and measured their walking and other moderate activities, such as yard work. At the four-year follow-up, they found that those who expended the most energy walking had a 27 percent lower risk of developing dementia than the people who expended the least. This could be the result of physical activity’s role in increasing blood flow to the brain.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Patient Relations Relating Patiently - Showing Caring Concern

Patient Relations Relating Patiently
Showing Caring Concern
Through Nonverbal Communication and Body Language
By Patti A. Wood MA, CSP

• Do you want to use the power of the first impressions to pick up information about your patient’s personality as quickly as possible?

• Would you like to know three nonverbal ways to hear a patient’s true needs?

Would you like two simple ways to show caring concern to every patient?

• Have you ever wondered what a patient was thinking but not saying?

• Do you know the secret differences between the way males and female patients share their concerns and symptoms?

• Do you want to easily gain the eyes and attention of your patients?

• Have you wanted to establish rapport quickly and easily to make your patient immediately at ease?

• Do you want to know two things to do when someone isn't listening to you?

Would you like three simple ways to show caring concern to every patient?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, this program will fulfill your needs through practice, discussion, and one-on-one coaching. You'll develop awareness to give you the competitive edge!

The best way to hold your hands to show you are being honest with a patient
How tongue lip and mouth movements reveal deceit
The difference between a real smile and a masking smile
What part of the body is the most "honest?"
How to read pauses in a patient’s responses
How space and territory changes affect a patient’s comfort level
How the heart and other body windows hide of reveal emotions
How to question a patient to get the most honest and revealing answers
Knee-crossing and brain function
Gesturing for increased verbal ability
Noticing the palms as a lie detector
Forming a clear message with your body language
Reading the full nonverbal sentence
Communicating clearly and effectively nonverbally with other medical professionals




Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Boehner, Reid and Pelosi, What Their Body Language Says About Government Shutdowns

Glasses and purple blue tie -
Look at his hand, he is covering his Ventral Front, that is his vulnerable belly and look how he is symbolically reaching in to rip his heart out showing how he feels he is being dealt with. Also watch how he says, “we are not there yet” and does a tongue thrust showing his dislike of the deal and the deal makers. Reid ends the evening interview with a telling “MISSpeak” His body language and voice go down and flat and he says of the outlook for resolution, ”Hope lies Eternal” indicating the outlook is lifeless and not moving rather than his head body and gestures coming up and his voice filled up with energy with the accurate quote, “ hope springs eternal.”

The segment with Reid and Boehner that night with Boehner in lime green tie -
First thing Boehner says, “We did have a productive conversation this evening,” But just as he finished the sentence he sucks in his lips - the translation, the vocal emphasis on the word did, indicated he felt that they started to be productive and then it wasn’t productive. The sucking in of the lips say he felt badly enough about the rest of the meeting to want to hold his negativity in. Later Boehner says, “We do have some honest differences” then he immediately presses his lips tightly together then flicks out his tongue showing he is really angry – Not a good sign for resolution.

Also listen to his voice paralanguage, “we are going to continue to work tonight and tomorrow” his voice fades out and he turns away on tomorrow, not an indication of him feeling confident that things will go well. Boehner also does a tongue flick after the word resolve, “work together to resolve this“shows more anger.

Pelosi, Former Speaker of the House footage – No sound….. I would love to know what she was asked or what she said before each of those comfort cues to her face. I can give names to each of the cues and say how they show she is highly stressed and the one where she touches her tongue picking something off the tip of it and flicking it is really interesting it shows she wants to get the taste of what she said out of her mouth, could be she is lying, or that she does not like the person she is talking about or the words she is saying.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

New Research Shows That Hugs Reduce Stress

Stress Study: Hugs warm the heart, and may protect it

By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY

PHOENIX — Cuddling may be good medicine for the heart. Loving contact before a tough day at work "could carry over and protect you throughout the day." By Rick Rycroft, AP

A brief hug and 10 minutes of handholding with a romantic partner greatly reduce the harmful physical effects of stress, according to a study reported over the weekend at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting here. (Related item: Worry, inactivity impede sleep's health benefits)

While I was teaching body language and nonverbal communication at Florida State University, students coming up to me before and after class or running into me on campus would inevitably open their arms to receive a big hug. In fact, though I didn’t have my PHD my students called me Dr. Hugs. Year after year, the student’s favorite lectures were the two touch lectures where I shared the research on the benefits of touch. But now that I think of it, professional people who attended my speeches and training would recognize me in a restaurant or the grocery store checkout line and also typically meet me with a warm and friendly hug.

A hug fully breaks the intimate zone boundaries of the body while other greetings, from the handshake to the bow to the upheld palms high-five are designed to keep people apart outside the intimate zero to fourteen-inch zone. A hug is a greeting of friend-to-friend.

The Origin of the Hug You may think of the hug as only a touchy-feely greeting. It may surprise you to learn that the hug actually originated in Egypt as a way for men meeting strangers to check for swords hidden under their long robes. It continues in modern day as a “Let me pat you down” weapons check in many Arab greetings.

It is only in the last century that the full frontal hug has morphed into the embrace showing warmth and affection. This full face-to-face hug shows others that we trust them and are willing to give them ready and full access to our vulnerable heart.

While people are avoiding handshakes, hugging seems to be increasing in popularity. Some researchers say the increase came after the tragedy of 9/11 as the need for comfort and bonding increased. Others say the change to casual dress in corporate America has brought a desire for a more casual greeting ritual. My high school and college audiences shared with me that hugging makes them feel accepted and loved by their friends in a way they don’t feel with their parents. My principal and schoolteacher audiences shared they believe the increase is due to the two-parent working families. Kids hug each other so they can get the healthy touch they are missing out on at home. Perhaps it is that there is not a real increase in hugs, but a decrease in hugs in the general population that make us NOTICE hugs more.

I remember fondly the warm, full heart-to-heart hugs shared with my fellow church group members when I was in high school. Even then, we wanted and were open to more love.

As the handshake seems to be lessening as the greeting ritual in corporate offices in the US, hugging seems to be increasing in use in social situations. At the end of 2009, Michelle Obama gave Queen Elizabeth a hug at Buckingham Palace. This lack of formality broke royal protocol. The Guardian (UK) newspaper, reporting on the incident, noted that “…. (There have been) only four other people who haven’t gone to the tower for ... (this breach) of protocol.” Queen Elizabeth was a bit surprised and it was a bit awkward. At first, she showed delayed acceptance of this change by also breaking protocol and reaching her arm around Mrs. Obama’s back to return the favor.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Curb Appeal “Mail Box Magic” Contest

Curb Appeal “Mail Box Magic” Contest My contact - Patti@PattiWood.net Cell phone 678-358-6160
I love my neighborhood. I am proposing a Curb Appeal Magic Mailbox Contest in my neighborhood that you may want to try in yours. The contest will inspire your neighborhood.

The Curb Appeal Mail Box Magic Contest
You ask your local hardware store to help you and or get a paid summer intern to organize the project. The intern could be majoring in Marketing/PR Agriculture/Architecture/Botany. As part of the project you could have a website/blog or Face book component. Here are the tasks. • Get Names, emails and addresses of home owners within a five mile radius of the store. • Create an email and or flyer advertising the contest email and or put on all the mailboxes. • Get the hardware store to give out a coupon, say, $20 dollars off a purchase of $100.00 dollars or more in the nursery of your store and or on items needed to upgrade a mailbox such as mailbox, mailbox stand, shovel, post hole digger, border stones or bricks, and mailbox numbers. You could have a sale for two weekends. Price could also be a gift certificate. You could go bigger and get a sponsor that is a contractor or builder and offer a new driveway, new stone siding, new roof or new windows or some other curb appeal home improvement. The store may want to qualify the use of the coupon by saying you need to bring in a “before” photo or drawing of your mailbox. You could also offer a workshop of sprucing up your mail box and have after photos in the store or online to inspire us. • Contest prizes $1,500 dollars for best all around curb appeal mailbox, $1,000 second prize 1,000 for most change (before and after) with photos to show the change. • Contact the media and or DeKalb County and see if they would help sponsor and promote the event. • Judges and or sponsors- Manager of the store, head of the nursery, Media personality, City or County official, professors from local colleges in Marketing/PR Agriculture/Architecture/Botany. If there are real estate agencies that work in the neighborhood perhaps they could be co-sponsors or the judges could find sponsor The Garden Club or Neighborhood Association. You could also create a garden tour of homes, but make the “tour” the neighborhood, the mailboxes. An alternative contest could be a make over of front doors.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.