
Dashboard
Viewer friendly dashboard that shows your walked blocks throughout each day.
The Walk10Blocks app was designed to help people meet the basic daily exercise requirement. Research has shown that walking 10 blocks a day, about 1 km or 0.6 miles, may help delay or minimize risk of dementia and help improve cardiovascular and joint health over time. It was the first app designed specifically to help adults get off the couch, start walking and contribute to ground breaking research at the same time.
Walk10Blocks helped participants set reasonable walking goals and move from the couch to 10 blocks through motivating, friendly alerts. Based on data from their iPhone, the Walk10Blocks app tracked participants’ walking activity with easy-to-read measurements and recorded their important feedback to questionnaires.
By using the Walk10Blocks app, participants played an important role as partners in the research team from Arthritis Research Canada, Arthritis Consumer Experts, Alzheimer Society of B.C and Canadian Association of Retired Persons. The team is studying the benefits of walking for adults who are inactive, older and at risk for or struggling with arthritis or dementia.
Viewer friendly dashboard that shows your walked blocks throughout each day.
Customizable daily walking goals
Stand up and take a walk reminders
A record of all your walks and how you rated them.
Fun rewards for meeting and beating your goals
*Please note the Walk10Blocks study has ended. The information below is a historical record of the Walk10Blocks study.
For Canadians over 65, some of the leading causes of mobility limitation are chronic joint and muscle diseases and cognitive impairment most commonly caused by dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Vascular Dementia.
Approximately 5 million Canadians are currently affected by some form of arthritis, a number that is estimated to grow to 7.5 million by 2036.
The World Health Organization reports that one new case of dementia is detected every 4 seconds.
Research suggests that walking a minimum of 1 kilometer, or about 10 city blocks per day, could reduce the risk of dementia, and potentially improve cardiovascular and bone health in the long term.
*Please note the Walk10Blocks app study has ended. The information below is a historical record of the Walk10Blocks study. The Walk10Blocks team will be sharing the results of the study. Stay tuned!
We all know that walking is good for us, but understanding what motivates or supports people aged 30 to 50 years who are sedentary to include daily exercise into their lifestyles is vitally important as our population ages.
Using Apple’s ResearchKit platform, the Walk10Blocks study aimed to find out if there are differences in how participants used the app. Did they open or use the app regularly? Did they self-select reminder notifications to stand up and take breaks or go for a walk? Did they rate their walking experiences? Did they take the surveys, whether they are prompted or not?
It sounds simple, but the Walk10Blocks study was a complex research project that had the potential to provide answers on how to help people who are sedentary change their behavior, behavior that either has led to poorer health or puts them at risk of developing a health condition.
Ultimately, the findings of the Walk10Blocks study will guide the full development of the app and help future users move more and sit less.
Primary Medical Consultant and Scientific Lead, Walk10Blocks and Professor at the University of British Columbia and Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada
Principal investigator of ICON, Canada Research Chair, Research Director, Falls Prevention Clinic, and Co-Site Lead for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, UBC Site
Research Coordinator, Walk10Blocks and Arthritis Research Canada
Scientific advisor and Knowledge User Team Member, Walk10Blocks, and Clinical Research, Rehabilitation Program, Fraser Health, Surrey, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia
Scientific advisor and Knowledge User Team Member, Walk10Blocks and Physical Therapy Knowledge Broker at UBC Department of Physical Therapy
Knowledge User Team Lead, Walk10Blocks, Founder and President of Arthritis Consumer Experts, ICON partner organization representative
Knowledge User Team Member, Walk10Blocks, Manager and Research Coordinator at Alzheimer Society of B.C., ICON partner organization representative
Knowledge User Team Member, Walk10Blocks and National Volunteers and Events Manager at Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP)
Technical Lead and Product and Project Manager, Walk10Blocks and independent consultant on development of digital products
Project Administration Lead, Walk10Blocks and JointHealth Program Coordinator
Graphic and UI Designer, Walk10Blocks
The Walk10Blocks app on the Research Kit platform can help conduct important research that may provide answers on how we and help delay dementia and improve cardiovascular and joint health over time.
– Dr. Linda Li, PT,
PhD of Physical Therapy
University of British Columbia
Principle Investigator of Icon
We believe that giving individuals the tools to motivate them to move and track their health is incredibly powerful.
– Cheryl Koehn, President
Arthritis Consumer Experts
Icon Knowledge User Team Lead
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis affecting the knees, hips, feet, spine, and hands. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is caused by the breakdown in cartilage in the joints, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Cartilage is a protein substance that acts as a cushion between bones in joints, allowing joints to function smoothly. Risk factors for OA include a family history of the disease, excess body weight, joint injury, repeated overuse of joint, and age.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Marcy O’Koon, senior consumer health director at the Arthritis Foundation, said: “A joint like the knee joint doesn’t have a blood supply, so it needs movement to swish around the fluids that deliver nutrients to the cartilage and other tissues.”
Sports medicine doctor Gabe Mirkin added: “Exercise should be part of treatment for most arthritis because inactivity increases joint damage. Choose a non-impact sport like walking, cycling, swimming or cross-country skiing, or use exercise machines that support your feet, so they don’t pound the ground.”
Speak to your doctor to determine the best exercise treatment plan for your disease. To help motivate yourself, find an exercise buddy and schedule your exercise into your daily routine. Start with a light warmup, such as stretching and range of motion exercises, to get past the discomfort. Increase intensity or duration of exercise when you feel comfortable doing so. Below are some exercises and tips to consider:
O’Koon’s words of encouragement: “Getting started is tough for people with arthritis, no doubt about it. But once you become consistent, exercise is self-reinforcing, because it gets easier, you lose weight, you gain strength, you experience less pain, and you feel better emotionally.”
A study recently published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings has found that walking briskly could add 10-20 years to your life! The project was co-authored by Tom Yates, professor of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health at the University of Leicester and Dr. Francesco Zaccardi, clinical epidemiologist at the University of Leicester.
The study lasted for over 10 years and included nearly 475,000 participants. Researchers wanted to see how different measures of physical fitness – specifically walking pace and hand grip strength – are associated with life expectancy, across different levels of obesity. This research area was chosen because there is ongoing debate about the importance of physical fitness and obesity on health outcomes. Researchers measured participant’s walking paces (slow, normal/steady, brisk/fast), hand grip strength and relative body weight using different measures of obesity including body mass index (BMI). Body Mass Index is the measure of body fat based on height and weight and is often used as a key indicator in determining an individual’s health.
Interestingly, the authors found that a person’s walking pace of slow, steady or brisk, was a more powerful predictor of one’s life expectancy than BMI was. Participants who reported having a brisk walking pace had a long-life expectancy, regardless of their BMI. Women’s life expectancy in this category ranged from 86.7 to 87.8 years and men ranged from 85.2 to 86.8 years. Individuals who reported slow walking paces had the slowest life expectancy with 72.4 years for women and 64.8 years for men.
“The findings suggest that perhaps physical fitness is a better indicator of life expectancy than BMI and that encouraging the population to engage in brisk walking may add years to their lives,” stated Yates.
It’s important to note that the study involved self-reported walking paces. It’s possible that there may be an inconsistency between what the researchers would define as slow, steady and brisk walking and what participants considered slow, steady or brisk walking. Nevertheless, this research serves as more scientific evidence for the power of walking!
In July of 2019, many news stations covered the fascinating findings from this study. In Globe and Mail’s coverage, Gareth Nock, national team training coach, provided readers with some “Proper Walking Tips”:
In recent decades, research shows that by the end of their teen years, close to 60 percent of youths experience at least one low-back pain episode. This may be because of the improper use and weight of the backpacks. Here’s an interesting read we came across that may help you plan your summer hiking trips with friends and children. The article asks this important question: How much should your backpack weigh?
Please note there are lots of determining factors for pack weight. It is tough to give an exact weight recommendation for every hiker. Talk to your physicians to explore your personal options. According to the original article, below are some general guidelines when determining your pack weight:
Following these guidelines will keep your pack at a manageable weight. However, the weight ratio may not work for everyone. The following excerpt includes factors that may affect the overall weight of your pack:
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m Arthritis Consumer Experts
We look forward to your feedback, questions and comments.
If you are not satisfied with how this study is being conducted, if you have questions about your rights as a research participant or if you have questions, concerns, input, or complaints about the research, please contact Arthritis Research Canada to speak to a Knowledge User:
Arthritis Research Canada
5591 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC V6X2C7
T: 604-207-4020 I F: 604-207-4059
E-mail: lli@arthritisresearch.ca