Can You Walk Your Way to a Longer Life?
We all know this to be true: the more you move, the better for you.
Several studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle leads to increased risk for chronic health problems, poorer mental health, and overall lower life expectancy. For these reasons, long-term inactivity is almost as bad as smoking.
While this may sound scary and difficult to avoid in our busy lives, the good news is that you don’t necessarily need to make time for intensive workouts every day to help you live longer and improve your well-being.
Studies have also shown that simply walking for at least an hour and incorporating this into your daily routine could make a drastic difference, especially if you aren’t very active otherwise.
In fact, walking at a moderately steady pace can reportedly help you add 5 to 11 years to your life. Using 2017 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a team of researchers applied a predictive mathematical model on a 2019 U.S. population of adults, 40 and over, and their recorded physical activity levels to determine how varying levels of physical activity affected their life expectancy.
Their findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, demonstrated that those who were most active had the highest life expectancies. Twenty-five percent of those considered most active walked 160 minutes every day at a pace of 3 miles per hour. If everyone adopted this level of consistent walking, they could help add over 5 years to their life.
On the flip side, twenty-five percent of those considered least active could see a decrease in life expectancy of about 6 years. Thankfully, not all hope was lost. For those that fell into this category, if they walked an additional 111 minutes every day, they could experience significant health benefits and help add up to 11 years to their lives.
The power of walking is indisputable. How often and how long we walk has a direct influence on how long we might live. For every hour you walk, it might be helpful to imagine that you’re adding additional hours to your life as motivation and a constant reminder of why walking is important.
If you need more convincing, here are 10 additional benefits to walking.
Ten Major Benefits to Walking
While we’ve established walking can help add years to your life, walking does wonders for your health in other ways, too.
>> Strengthens your heart: Walking is linked to better cardiovascular health by regulating your circulation and improving your heart function.
>> Regulates your weight: Walking is a great way to burn calories to lose weight and maintain a healthier weight.
>> Boosts your mood: Walking consistently can help reduce stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and giving you something to look forward to.
>> Increases your energy and stamina: Walking helps improve your oxygen flow, allowing you to feel more energized.
>> Lowers your blood pressure: Walking helps lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol.
>> Strengthens your muscles and bones: The more you use your muscles and bones by walking, the stronger they will be. You’ll be less prone to fractures and tears and have better balance.
>> Reinforces your immunity: Walking helps reduce your risk for of disease and other health issues.
>> Improves your quality of sleep: Walking helps regulate our circadian rhythms, or our natural sleep and wake cycles, and helps promote deeper, more restful sleep.
>> Expands your social circle: Walking outside allows you to see new faces and meet different people.
>> Grants you an opportunity to explore the world around you: Walking provides an endless number of opportunities to discover new things. Every walk you embark on is a chance to notice and observe something you didn’t before.
As you can see, walking has so many benefits to our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Deciding to make walking a daily habit might seem an easy decision, but making this an actual reality is not as simple.
Lucky for you, here are ten outlined strategies to better implement walking into your daily routine.
Ten Strategies to Start and Keep Walking
Not all of these strategies may work for you, but they nevertheless can give you ideas on where and how to start and more importantly, how to keep going.
>> Just get started: The hardest part of any goal is just getting started. But once you do, it gets easier to continue. But don’t worry, you don’t need to start walking for 160 minutes on day one. Start smaller. You can walk for 30 minutes on day one and work your way up. There’s no race to the finish line because there is no finish line. You’re learning how to build a healthy habit that hopefully becomes a favorite hobby.
>> Set intervals: There’s no need to get your walking in all at once. Feel free to break your total goal up and walk for a set number of minutes before taking a break.
>> Invite family and friends: Who says you need to walk alone? Achieving your goals is more fun and manageable when your loved ones are involved as well.
>> Set and track goals: For however long you walk each day, keep track of how long you’re walking each time. See how much more you can walk next time. Keeping an eye on your progress will be motivating.
>> Opt to walk instead of relying on vehicles: Not every area has the infrastructure to be considered walkable, but if you can, try to see which places you can safely walk to and start relying on walking as a way of getting around. Just make sure your walking paths are safe.
>> Take the stairs: Wherever you go, look for the stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Or walk up the escalators instead of riding them.
>> Join a community group: Look into whether your community has a local walking group you can join and if not, create a group of your own.
>> Plan your routes beforehand: To make sure you know where you’re walking to, plan out your route and include pit stops along the way.
>> Listen to music: Music makes great company on a walking journey and can motivate you and keep you on track. Walking to a soundtrack or curated playlist allows you to find a natural rhythm and maintain a steady pace. If music isn’t your style, try listening to an audiobook or podcast. Walk the length of at least a full episode or chapter.
>> Invest in comfortable shoes: It’s worth it to buy comfortable, durable shoes that can support your feet. You want shoes with soft cushions and padding that can mold to the shape of your feet, but still lightweight and breathable so your feet don’t feel restricted. If you don’t want to buy new shoes, you can buy memory foam or gel insoles that you can wear inside the shoes you already have to make them more comfortable for long walks. Thick, soft socks will also make your shoes and walks more enjoyable.
By incorporating these tangible strategies and tips, you can make walking every day seem less daunting and more doable. Walking should ideally become something you instinctively look forward to, not something you dread. When people start to see how much joy walking brings you, they’ll be more likely to join.
Walking versus Running
While you won’t burn as many calories as quickly with walking as you will with running, walking largely has many of the same benefits as running. Running is a great activity, but it can be harder on the body than walking.
For longevity and quality of life, walking is the way to go. If you run excessively, you’ll be more prone to injuries, pain, and potentially more joint problems. Regardless, it’s crucial to listen to your body and stay hydrated throughout your walk or run.
Before You Walk…
Make a little checklist before you start walking to make sure you have everything you need.
We created one for you here as a starting point.
:: Comfortable shoes (and clothes)
:: Full water bottle (or hydration pack)
:: Cell phone
:: Sunscreen (if summer)
:: Hat or visor
:: Compact umbrella
:: Fanny pack or small bag
:: Snacks (ex: granola bars, fruits)
:: Earphones or headphones
:: Sunglasses
:: Gloves and scarves (if winter)
:: A light sweater or jacket
Depending on the weather, this checklist is subject to change. Before you walk, be sure to check the forecast so that you’re prepared. You don’t want to be outside if there’s a freak storm on the horizon. Use your best judgment and plan accordingly.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
Now with all these reasons to start walking and all these strategies on how to start, what are you waiting for? The possibilities are limitless and the road ahead is long but inviting. Every walk is exciting because no two walks will ever be the same. Just think, you could walk your way to a longer life! Walking every day increases the likelihood of you enjoying a longer, healthier life. And it’s much easier to do than most other exercises or longevity practices.
Start now! Your body and lifespan will thank you.