ASHEVILLE, NC – November 29, 2023 – Hiking and walking fast are good activities to help people get in shape; however, a variety of hiking and walking fast called ‘rucking’ can get people in even better condition. Rucking involves walking or hiking with a weighted pack. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors did this more than 10 thousand years ago when they had to carry stuff over long distances to hunt animals for food. Early hunters developed strength and endurance that helped to protect themselves from danger. In modern times, the military adopted marching long distances with a loaded back pack for training and fitness. Fitness experts suggest adding 10 to 30 or more pounds of weight to the pack.

Rucking is a great workout with many health benefits over hiking and walking. These workouts are easy-to-moderate intensity training, in between a leisurely walk and a hard run. It is a great cardio session. Conversation is still possible and the heart reaches about 60-70 percent of its maximal rate. A hilly course is more strenuous than going on flat terrain. However, walking in a neighborhood with a weighted pack becomes great exercise! A session can even be as little as 15 minutes. Muscles of the legs and trunk (commonly referred to as the core muscles) become stronger. Dr. Peter Attitia, a physician expert in living longer and the author of the newly published book Outlive, has described how hiking with a weighted pack affects going uphill and downhill. Going uphill stresses VO2 Max. This stands for the maximum amount of oxygen that the body uses in a minute. Training can improve the VO2 Max by about 20-25%. A higher VO2 Max has been associated with better health and living longer. While going downhill is good for core stability muscles and eccentric muscle contraction and strengthening.

Here’s a few things to know about rucking.

• It’s a great activity to do when pushing a young child in a stroller.
• The added weight may not be apparent to a fitness tracker
• Specialty gear is expensive, but adding bottles of water or bags of rice to the pack may do
• It is easier on joints than running
• Moving in a natural environment is good for emotional health like walking meditation

Having moved to Asheville, 3 years ago, I have found that many people here like to engage in outdoor activities like hiking. Many hikers on the trail wear a back pack. Last week, I fast walked the Asheville Turkey Trot 5K and finished with 2 walkers wearing large back packs. Maybe they were rucking to get a more intensive workout than us walkers before their Thanksgiving Feast?

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC –  November 29, 2023 – The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on November 11^th:

• Hospital admission levels are low in 94 of 100 counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and about 86% of the counties in the U.S. However, they have increased in North Carolina and increased in Buncombe County from the previous week.
• 5% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the third lowest level of 6 groups. This has increased since the previous week.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina. This represents less than 1.5% of all ER visits, the lowest of 5 levels and stable from the previous week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on November 15^th is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at a red level representing the highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 80^th and 100^th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has increased from the previous week, at 10% to 99%, the middle level of 3 groups for a positive rate of change.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know that:

• COVID-19 can affect people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. Some effects can be long-lasting.
• Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines. The new updated vaccine, which has been available since September this year, is effective against the latest COVID strains. The CDC recommends the updated vaccine for eligible people ages 6 months and older. The vaccine can reduce the risk of developing severe illness, becoming hospitalized or dying.
• For extra protection, wear an efficient medical grade mask
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• If you test positive, your doctor may recommend medical treatment

If you get COVID, here’s the latest CDC guidelines:

• Isolate for 5 days provided the fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing medicine. Isolation means staying home and away from others.
• After the isolation period, wear a high-quality mask around others at home and in public for the next 5 days
• Masking can stop earlier with 2 negative antigen tests taken 48 hours apart

More and more Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]