Walk, don’t run! That favorite phrase of your elementary school hall monitor and the community pool lifeguard was actually helpful advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
According to the American Council on Exercise, walking offers the following benefits:
- Improves good cholesterol (HDL)
- Lowers blood pressure (it is recommended to shoot for a top number (systolic) of 120 mm Hg or lower)
- Aids in weight management
- Reduces HbA1c (measure for diabetic control)
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces mental stress
- Reduces the incidence of depression1
Running certainly can be beneficial for cardio health, but it does come with the risk of long-term damage to knee joints, feet and the back, as many a former long-distance runner will tell you. I ran regularly into my early 30s until knee and back pain began to set in. At that point I switched to walking and lifting in the gym three to four days per week. At age 54, this mix is working well for me.
The sweet spot for me is walking at a brisk but manageable pace that elevates my heartrate but is not so intense that I can no longer hold a conversation with someone. Experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of walking five days a week. That’s doable for most people, even those with a busy schedule.
On a good day I log around 10,000 steps (or about five miles) a day. That includes my “walks” at lunch, breaks, and in the evening, plus the incidental walking I do at the office. This Christmas I finally joined the twenty-first century fitness world when I received a Runmefit fitness tracker, which is a Fitbit offbrand. This has helped me track my steps, and I was surpised at how many steps I was taking in the office and did not realize it.
I prefer walking outdoors. The weather elements change from season to season, – crisp fall mornings, warm summer evenings, windy days, early sunrises, moonlit winter evenings, the smell of fallen leaves, freshly cut hay or the aroma from a neighbor’s grill. The augmented sensory experience of outdoor walking makes walking fun for me.
If walking seems like drudgery to you, I really encourage you to reconsider. Walking is the most natural physical activity we can do to remain healthy. It is safe for just about everyone.2 We humans have been walking for thousands of years, and it was not uncommon for our early ancestors to walk ten to twenty miles in a day. Most people do not get enough sunlight for a sufficient level of vitamin D. Walking outdoors can help with this. Walking outdoors is also a huge de-stressor. Finally, some of my best thinking and aha! moments take place when I get “lost” in my walks.
Some folks also like to hook their earbuds to a phone and enjoy their favorate music. I do this, too, from time to time. I listen to podcasts and to music that is uplifting. My music of choice when walking is traditional folk songs from the British Isles and early America on roseislandradio.com. They stream at https://live365.com/station/Rose-Island-Radio-a04941.
Happy walking in 2024! And enjoy listening to Rose Island Radio.