Did you know that walking is as fundamental to human health as are breathing and sleeping? If so, why has something so biologically essential become so overlooked in our conversations about health? Let's start thinking of walking as a physiological necessity, not simply as a form of exercise. When we think of walking as mere exercise, it can easily become optional. Walking is a core biological input that we as homo sapiens and as pipeds walking on two feet need for our survival. Walking affects our musculoskeletal system. It affects our central nervous system. It affects our lymphatic system. It's the kind of repetitive, low intensity activity that's crucial for our wellness. And it's one of the most easily accessible forms of exercise. We ALL need to be doing it. Just try to get 10,000 steps per day. After 10,000 steps, the law of diminishing returns begins to kick in.
Recently I've begun to reduce my daily step count from 17,000 to anywhere between 10 and 15,000.
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| Today's step count. |
That's because my weight training has entered a new, muscle-building phase that involves very intensive workouts. Also, now that it's summer, I'm doing all of my walks outdoors (usually at the High Bridge Trail) for the vitamin D benefits.
By making walking a consistent habit, we can increase our total daily energy expenditure without the muscle damage, joint stress, or excessive appetite stimulation associated with high-intensity cardio. And because walking is a gentle activity, it is easy on our joints and muscles, which helps improve recovery from our weight training sessions. It's also an easy habit to maintain long-term, which is crucial for consistency. In addition, you can use walking as a time to listen to educational podcasts or Youtube videos.
Walking -- a win-win exercise!