| “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and out of a state of illness.” – Soren Kierkegaard Walking might be the most underrated thing we do for our fitness, health, longevity, and body composition. It is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your back and spine health, and walking has benefits beyond just movement. Going for a walk is also great for mental clarity. Something about wandering along the side of the road or through the woods stimulates thoughts from all corners of the brain. Simply going for walks has led to some of the best ideas I’ve ever had (and a few bad ones too). Walking is also a great way to build valuable family bonding time. My kids talk NON-STOP on walks, and I get to learn a lot of random fun facts- a toddler’s mind is a wild place! If you have any summer vacations planned, one of the best parts about traveling is walking. Strolling along, stopping at local shops, breweries, and restaurants, getting lost in the shuffle feels so effortless and soothing. Unfortunately, so many of us take this for granted and get stuck inside on a beautiful sunny afternoon. If you live in an area that encourages walking (ahem, Lake Country), those little walks from here to there and everywhere in between are the secrets to life and vigor. If you don’t believe me, here is some data pulled from a research article based out of the UK. The study surveyed more than 50,000 walkers from a variety of ages for both men and women. The study found that regularly walking at a brisk pace was associated with a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 24% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death rate. All the data was self-reported. Typically this could be viewed as a “skewed study”, but in this case, I think it provides more clarity to the picture. A “brisk pace” for a 20 year old is much different than a 70 year old. In reality, what the research shows us is an accurate measure of the “rate of perceived exertion” (RPE) or how hard an individual is working. RPE has been proven to be an effective metric to measure intensity during exercise. An easy way to think of exertion during a brisk walk would be to imagine walking at a pace that gets you out of breath for several minutes. In addition to the above-listed benefits, more than 50% of the surveyed individuals said they felt a sense of calmness after completing their daily walks. It’s not magic, but it might be a distant cousin. Get outside and WALK! Yours in gait-cycle, Nick and Tom P.S. Thanks to author Dan John for the inspiration for this email. |
