I started running late in life and wished I would have started younger but, as it turns out, there’s no need for speed. I was elated to find out that a long, head-clearing walk brings many of the same benefits — to body, mind, and spirit — as a jog or a sprint.
Since stay-at-home mandates started in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus, many people have complied by spending more time on the couch.
Fitbit, the company that makes smart activity trackers, shared data soon after showing that users of its devices across the U.S. were suddenly taking 12 percent fewer steps per day, on average, than they had during the same period in 2019.
It seems that since then, however, many of us have gotten off our couches and started going for walks again. It’s a safe way to exercise in fresh air and reconnect with ourselves and others.
Science backs up just how good this feels:
“Getting our steps in”, as we love to say, not only improves cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, balance, and blood-sugar regulation. It also protects long-term cognitive function, reduces depression, and helps us think more creatively.
A study found that regular walkers were significantly better than sedentary people at finding innovative ways to solve issues, both while walking and immediately afterward. This is because the movement appeared to increase divergent thinking. So it counts as exercise and comes with the same positive- and potentially formative- benefits.
Considering that so many of us have been working from home this year, curled over laptops perched on coffee tables and kitchen counters, physical therapists are hearing more complaints of back and neck pain.
Gratefully, walking is an efficient way to undo the knots, both physical and emotional, that we twist ourselves into.
Walking with your shoulders back and your head over your shoulders will help your breathing and your posture. It can also improve digestion, since slumping forward increases pressure on the abdomen, which pushes stomach acid upward, potentially leading to heartburn. You can even work yourself up to a brisk clip, arms swinging at your sides, and you’ll feel calmer faster too; escalating your pace reduces stress hormones and increases the flow of feel-good endorphins in your brain.
Walking twice a day, for about 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back, will automatically put your body in better balance and clear your head. Think of it as a great way to mark the start and end of your day.
A good goal is actually one that’s relative to your starting point. Researchers found that for people getting a low number of steps per day (around 4,000 or fewer), taking just 4,000 more significantly reduced their risk of premature death from all causes.
Adults should aim to move more, sit less, and take more steps per day as their health allows. Using a step-logging device — whether an app on the phone, a smartwatch, a digital tracker, or an old-school pedometer — makes it easy to clock them, even while doing yard work or striding across the kitchen as you cook.
Tuning into your environment is another way walking can make you feel more centered and whole. Research shows that tramping through nature helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve concentration.
If you haven’t strutted your stuff in a while, or want to get in on the action, lean into this low-impact, all-ages exercise, and unlock the upsides of hitting your stride!
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