The Walking Track

Tanglwood Amenities

The Walking Track

One of Tanglwood’s amenities came about as a response to a group of residents who gathered in the mornings to walk around the community. They wanted a safe, open area to get some outdoor exercise and found the golf course and our roads were not the best choices for safety. In 2017 the Board initiated a plan to construct a walking track along the perimeter of the ball field off of Tanglwood Drive. A drainage ditch was put in place across the diameter and the oval shaped design measuring just under ¼ mile with a base of crushed stone. Four times around and you’ll have your mile logged in. The surface is permeable allowing water to naturally drain through it. The surface is inspected and maintained seasonally and provides our residents with an ideal location to keep in good health.

Prevention Magazine (Oct. 25,2017 edition www. prevention.com) offers us these tips of the many health benefits of walking outside every day starting with stronger bones to a trimmer physique.

Whether you’re new to walkingor have been logging steps for a while now, being aware of all the health benefits that come from walking outdoors can help keep you motivated—even more so than external motivators, like losing weight.

Not familiar with the benefits? You’re going to be racing for the front door by the time you’ve scrolled through our list and learned all the amazing things a walk outside can do for your body.

You’ve probably heard of a runner’s high before, but did you know that walking can give you a walker’s high? As you log miles your brain releases “happy” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine that can lift your mood both during and after your workout. Walking outside has also been shown to lower rates ofdepressionmore effectively than walking indoors.

• You’ll ward off memory loss. Walking releases a protein called BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Some experts refer to BDNF as “Miracle-Gro for the brain” because it encourages the growth of new brain cells, which can help ward off memory loss and dementia. • You’ll lower your blood pressure. As you walk, your heart beats faster and pumps more blood. Over time, as your heart becomes able to pump more blood with less effort, your blood pressure levels will decrease. In one

University of Tennessee study, post-menopausal women who walked just 2 miles per day saw their blood pressure levels decrease by 11 points. • You’ll lower your risk of heart attack. A regular walking regimencan lower your risk of having a heart attack by 35%, according to an analysis of 18 studies. • You’ll ward off lung cancer.

A regular exercise routine can lower your chances of developing lung cancer by up to 30%. It can even offer some protection for smokers.

And for those with asthma or other lung diseases, walking can help reduce the severity of symptoms. • You’ll strengthen your bones. Unlike biking or swimming, walking is a weight-bearing activity.

The light impact can help strengthen your bones, protecting you from osteoporosis and fractures. • It can ward off fat accumulation. Walking tells your muscles to release a fat-burning hormone called irisin. Scientists say it appears to reprogram fat cells to burn energy instead of storing it, increasing metabolic rate, and converting lowcalorie-burning white fat cells intohigher calorie burning brown fat cells— all changes that can make

weight loss easier. • It can make you look younger. Exercise doesn’t just make your skin sweaty, it can also make your skin look younger by increasing the production ofcollagenthe protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. • It can ward off several other diseases, too. When you walk outside, you’re exposing your bare skin to sunlight, which prompts the body to make vitamin D, a nutrient up to 75% of American adults don’t get enough of. (And yes, this is still the case if you’re wearing SPF—which you should be doing, by the way!)Vitamin D deficienciesare associated with numerous health concerns, including an increased risk for Alzheimer›s disease, heart disease, rickets, and prostate cancer, so getting outside for a daily walk is a great way to protect your health.

So take the plunge and take advantage of our Walking Track - start today!