Walking, Your Best Medicine
Use your creativity to develop a consistent and enjoyable daily walking program. You will benefit physically, mentally and emotionally.
We know that exercise is a very important aspect of health and well being, and it may be the fourth of five most important ways to sustain our bodies - oxygen, water, and nutrients being the first three and sleep being fifth. Our bodies were designed to move, and that movement has great implications in terms of our overall health. Exercise increases blood flow to every area of the body, and how we get exercise - walking or jogging, water activities, weight training or a myriad of other possibilities is less important than accomplishing the goal.
Walking is probably the simplest and most beneficial of exercises, and it is the one that we were designed to do. Walking, in fact, is the number one participation sport in the entire world. There are many good reasons for the popularity of walking, not the least of which, I reiterate, is that we were designed to do it. It does not require any tricks or special skills. It does not require any special equipment, nor does it require a special place. You don’t need special clothing, although a good pair of walking shoes that are comfortable and fit well are beneficial. Another piece of equipment that is useful is a pedometer so that you can keep track of this activity in terms of the number of steps per day.
Walking can be as beneficial as jogging
Walking is undeniably the safest exercise in which one can participate. It does not require a significant degree of preconditioning or training, and it does not involve excessive physical exertion. Walking is not as stressful on the body or joints as most other exercises; and in fact, the design of the body is such that walking is more natural than standing, sitting or running. Generally, walking is a low impact aerobic activity. The impact of heel strike (about 1 ½ times the person’s body weight) is only about one-third of what it is during jogging. In some activities such as tennis where there are rapid direction changes and running, the impact can be up to seven times the person’s body weight with each heel strike. Nevertheless, walking can be just as beneficial as jogging or running in terms of caloric expenditure and weight loss. For example, running a 6-minute mile will burn approximately 400 calories in 20 minutes while walking/jogging 12 minutes per mile will burn approximately 150 calories in 20 minutes. Obviously, the caloric expenditure is higher with the higher workload of running, but there is a tradeoff in terms of the high impact, especially for the feet, ankles, and knees.
Hippocrates (460-357 B.C.) once said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” But I am not sure he really understood the depth and breadth of all the benefits of walking. Here are just a few of the benefits that one accrues with regular walking activities:
- Walking burns calories (approximately 400 calories per hour with a 12-minute mile pace [5 miles per hour])
- Improves heart capacity
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
- Reduces the risk of heart attack
- Improves bowel health and regularity
- Increases stamina and energy
- Reduces tension and anxiety
- Reduces depression
- Reduces appetite
- Increases aerobic capacity
- Slows down bone loss in osteoporosis
- It can be done almost anywhere, even stationary walking in a hotel room
- It eases back pains
- Causes weight loss and reduction of waist size
- Improves muscle tone
- It can be done at any time in short bouts
- It allows for a time of introspection and meditation
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Burning Calories
We do not have to be taught how to walk. We all learn within the first two years of life. We do not have to join a club, a gymnasium, or health spa. We don’t have to buy videos or computer programs or manuals. We just have to decide we want to walk, and walk naturally, and remember to maintain proper posture, keeping the head up and spine straight, keeping arms and shoulders loose; and keeping a relatively brisk but not uncomfortable pace. Walkers may use several different paces depending on their goals for that exercise period. They may have a casual pace, a more rapid pace for greater aerobic benefits and then a fast pace for more cardiovascular stimulation. Walking at three miles per hour would be considered strolling (approximately 100 calories per twenty minutes), four miles per hour, brisk walking (approximately140 calories per twenty minutes), and five miles per hour, race walking (approximately180 calories per 20 minutes). If breathing becomes difficult, slow down ¬ you are walking too fast. If there is any significant degree of discomfort with your walking activities, then you should limit walking until you have seen a doctor and made appropriate alterations to technique or modifications such as equipment. Try to take long, smooth strides with arms swinging at your sides naturally for balance.
Keep Hydrated
You should do several things in preparation for and during a walking program. Initially, you should see a doctor to be sure there are no medical or physical contraindications to proceeding. Eating well and keeping well hydrated are extremely important. Additionally, choosing a good walking path or route is very important. The terrain should not be so difficult or potentially dangerous that it makes walking less enjoyable.
Indoor Walking
Another nice thing about walking as a regular exercise modality is that it can be done indoors as well as outdoors. If you are lucky enough to have a large indoor mall, you have a place where you can ambulate on flat, level surfaces in an air-conditioned environment for as long or as far as you like. Many malls have mall-walker groups that you can join as well. In addition, you can walk inside your own living quarters. You can walk in place or if the floor plan allows, walk around the house. A staircase provides another excellent place to get exercise by simply repetitively climbing and descending the stairs. When you go to a large department store such as a Wal-Mart or a Target, simply grab a cart, and walk the perimeter a few times going up and down the isles as you wish. It is easy to log miles if you are interested. Inquire if there is a local walking club that you might join for more socialization and comradery with your walking activities.
Cautions
There are a few cautions that you should consider when walking. You should stop walking if there is any sign of chest pain or other symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or significant fatigue. You should be able to hold a conversation while walking; and if you cannot continue to converse while walking, either you are working too hard or there might be some other medical problem preventing you from easily participating in this activity. You should not walk on ice nor walk outdoors if it is extremely cold, hot, or humid. In addition, it is probably not a good idea to walk during a lightning storm. If walking in relatively hot weather, take water along to prevent dehydration and heat stroke. If walking along a road, walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic, and wear high visibility clothing in low light situations.
Use your creativity to develop a consistent and enjoyable daily walking program. You will benefit physically, mentally and emotionally.
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"Walking, Your Best Medicine"
authored by:
Dr. Livingstone is the medical director of rehabilitation at Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He is board certified in physiatry (P.M.&R.) having developed an interest in this field because of personal experience after a m...
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