Walking : Our Can-Do, Must-Do Exercise
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
“Walking is man’s best medicine,” said Hippocrates ((460-370 BC) centuries ago. He was known as the ‘Father of Medicine.’
“Walking is the best possible exercise," said U.S. President Thomas Jefferson over two hundred years ago.
“Just walk for half an hour every day, or at least for 5 days a week,”
says my current physician.
Walking – The Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone Exercise:
Almost anyone can
do it- The
mantra for good health and a long life it is said is to avoid a sedentary
lifestyle. Walking regularly is the antidote to a sedentary lifestyle. It can
be practiced by people across age groups.
Teenagers can do it to knock off some pounds.
A middle-aged person can fit a half hour of working into their schedule
at work or on the way to work.
What about us seniors? Yes,
those of us who can, should take a brisk walk regularly.
Walking is an exercise that
is available to all and affordable to all, requiring no additional or special
equipment… other than a pair of good shoes!
Walking is often the only 'exercise' that people in their
eighties or nineties are advised to do, if even for a short time, by their
doctors.
Anywhere?? - Yes, it could be a pleasant
walk in a park.
It could be on quiet streets.
Or it could be multiple turns around your apartment block.
It could also be on the terrace of your home with only the sky and
stars for company or distraction.
I know of a lady who
religiously completed 10000 steps per day, every day, by walking only inside her
2-bedroom apartment of 900 sq ft! I mastered this art during the Covid pandemic when
confinement at home was the norm worldwide!
Any time-Morning and evening walks
are most common in my neighborhood. I a
near-constant parade of early morning walkers. Mostly middle-aged and seniors.
It starts with the lone elderly gentleman with a spritely walk and a seldom-used
cane in hand to frighten street dogs away.
Often I complete the last
lap of my goal of “at least 7500 steps” after dinner!
Important factors about walking as an
exercise, as reiterated by doctors, are:
Regularity–Walking is to be done regularly for the best results.
They diagnosed my father with diabetes when he
was 43 years and his physician advised him to take up brisk walking as an
exercise. Two hours of brisk walking was enough to get his weight down in 6
months. The first walking bout was
before sunrise between 5.30 and 6.30 am and the second after sundown between 6
& 7 pm. He would walk up & down our driveway for about a furlong.
He lived an active life up to the age of
93. Walking was his only long-duration exercise, along with a few
stretching and stability exercises.
Brisk pace–Dawdling is not walking. If the purpose of walking is to burn calories, brisk walking is a must.
Staying hydrated–It is easy to get dehydrated when on a long walk, especially in hotter climes. Carrying a water bottle is necessary to avoid dehydration and its associated problems.
Protecting your feet–If you are planning to take up long, brisk walks regularly, it is essential to invest in a pair of good shoes. My endeavor to include more of walking in my daily routine with a pair of low-heeled slippers ended disastrously. I stumbled on a stone in my path, my foot slipped off the heel and I ended up with a hairline fracture of my foot bone. My foot was in a cast for 3 weeks.
My Learnings after taking up walking as an exercise and from those who walked habitually:
- Invest in a smartwatch that comes with a step counter
– It's good to keep track of how much you’ve walked. While there are some expensive brands, affordable ones which do the
job are available
- - Try and complete at least 30
to 40% of your targeted number of steps or targeted duration of walking
in the morning. It will make you feel good, confident, and more positive
about the day
-
- Tips such as taking the stairs instead of the
elevator, parking your vehicle away from your destination, and walking to the
grocery are valid. But a dedicated time slot of at least 30 to 45 minutes every day for walking,
is required to achieve 7500-10,000 steps
- - I
have written above about my Dad managing diabetes and living up to the ripe
age of 93 with walking as his sole exercise
- - My work colleague would get off
at a train station which is about 3 kilometers from the office and walks the
distance twice every day. On her way to the office in the morning and on her return home in the
evening. I have known her to fall ill
very rarely. At 52 years she is slim as a reed. Her appearance belies her age
- - The vegetable vendor in our area walks for a couple of hours in the mornings, through the streets, with her vegetable basket on her head. At 68 years she is fit and fine. She educated her daughter, who is employed in a bank. Her job requires her to be seated for hours every day, in front of the computer. At 44 she is obese and diabetic. She has no time to exercise as she bustles between home, children, and career.
COMPELLING MEDICAL RESEARCH-BASED REASONS FOR US SENIORS TO WALK
- At least 150 minutes a week (for
example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) of moderate-intensity activity such
as brisk walking. Or they need 75 minutes a
week of vigorous-intensity activity such as hiking,
jogging, or running.
- At least 2 days a
week of activities that strengthen muscles.
- Plus
activities to improve balance, such as standing on one foot”
Dr.Sarita Bajaj, MD (Medicine), DM (Endocrinology), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) & Associate Professor at MLN Medical College, Allahabad, India has stated in her paper on “Walk for Health” in the website of Diabetes India states that
“Walking is one of the best ways to enhance
general health
1/2 hour of brisk walking = 200 calories burnt
1 lb(1/2 kg) of fat = 3500 calories
Therefore to burn 1lb of fat (1/2 kg) one needs to walk every day for a minimum
of 17 days to burn that amount with never a miss.”
According to the reputed US-based Mayo Clinic, regular brisk walking can help you:
- · Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat
- · Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes
- ·
Improve
cardiovascular fitness
- ·
Strengthen your
bones and muscles
- ·
Improve muscle
endurance
- ·
Increase energy
levels
- ·
Improve your mood,
cognition, memory and sleep
- ·
Improve your
balance and coordination
- ·
Strengthen immune
system
- · Reduce stress and tension
MOST IMPORTANTLY *****”The Faster, Farther and More Frequently youWalk, the Greater the Benefits!!”****
Source: Pearce, M., et al. (2022). Association between physical activity and risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(6), 550–559. This meta-analysis covers 15 prospective studies involving 191,130 participants.https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/defeating-depression-naturally
- To Walk, As Much as We Can and as Briskly as we Can. Duly protecting our feet.
- Use a Walking Aid if necessary. A stick or a cane. BUT Don’t Give up Walking
- Walk Indoors or Outdoors
- Walk Alone or in Company
- But Walk We Must!
