Why We Want to Walk

We have gotten to know each other pretty well over the past few months. I've been candid with you about things like motivation (or lack thereof) seasonal fitness slumping, saber-toothed tigers, lies the fitness world tells us and how sometimes gratitude isn't all it's cracked up to be. And you have shared with me your wellness questions, concerns, fitness goal celebrations, things that are working and things you wish would. I treasure your authentic sharing so much I thought I'd better come all the way clean.

I've been holding out on you.

The question I get most often regarding exercise is, "What is the best kind of exercise I can get?" And while I don't avoid it, I do often answer with something a bit obfuscative like, "Well, that depends on your fitness level, access to equipment and your personal goals." Which I am here to tell you, isn't definitively true. There is in fact one form of exercise doctors, trainers and other health professionals all agree is the single best method for improving health and wellbeing.

By the time you're done reading this (no skipping to the end!) I promise to reveal the answer to this age-old question. But before we get to that - I want to spend some time talking about one of my favorite runners up to the winner of the Best Exercise for All.

Walking.

In 2015, The US Surgeon General prescribed a single activity to the nation. In his report: Step It Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities, he reminded us that physical activity is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health.  Regular physical activity can reduce the burden of chronic diseases, and can prevent early death. But, despite the known health benefits of being physically active, only one-half of U.S. adults and about one-quarter of high school students meet the minimum guidelines for aerobic physical activity. Walking, the Surgeon General reminded the nation, is an easy way to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle, and walkable communities make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to be active.

"I firmly believe that everybody in America needs a safe place to walk or to wheelchair roll,” said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at that time.

I couldn't agree more.

Doctors and health experts agree that walking is safe enough for everyone to do. It’s also effective enough to stave off disease, maintain your weight and control pain from chronic disease. It costs nothing and can be done anytime, just about anywhere. While walking or rolling is technically affordable and easy, it requires a neighborhood that has sidewalks and crosswalks, and where people generally feel safe being outside. Not all American communities fit this bill. There is much to be done to make Murthy's vision of a walking America a reality, including work that needs doing right here in North Denver. Transportation authorities, parks districts, businesses, schools, health care centers and local non-profits all have a role in working together to increase access to safe and convenient places to walk and wheelchair roll.

But it's not just up to 'them!' There is something each of us can do individually and in small grassroots groups to help make the walkable community vision a reality.  We can walk.

Four yourself - If you take the bus, get off a stop early and walk to your destination. See if there is a role for walking to complete your errands. If you drive, think about parking farther away from your destination. For your village - Take walks with a coworker at lunchtime. Make a standing walking date with a friend. Put a walk on the family schedule after dinner. Start or join a walking or hiking group. (Check out the details of our local EverWalk group at the end of this column!) Join or help mobilize a neighborhood clean-up effort to make places where people walk safe and attractive. Participate in community activities like a neighborhood watch to reduce crime and violence. Join advisory boards, nonprofits, and community planning processes to support safe and convenient places to walk.

One in two Americans don’t know their neighbors. Remedy that today by taking a walk around your block. You might be surprised by how many friendly faces you meet! Connection is a great reason to walk. and so is better memory and cognitive function. A clinical trial of older adults in Japan published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2015 found that after 12 weeks, men and women in a prescribed daily walking exercise group had significantly greater improvements in memory and executive function (the ability to pay focused attention, to switch among various tasks, and to hold multiple items in working memory) compared with those in a control group who were told just to carry on with their usual daily routine.

Plus, walking outdoors increases your probability of seeing birds, butterflies and sunsets by a million. This one isn’t a scientific fact, but it just makes sense. Asl Cheryl Strayed wrote in her memoir, Wild, "There's a sunrise and sunset every day. You can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty."

And don't tell me you don't have time.

Walking just 20 minutes a day can reduce your risk of premature death by 30 percent. This is one of those times when every little bit really does count. Walking for 15 minutes after meals helps regulate blood sugar levels just as effectively as one 45-minute walk per day, according to a 2013 study, which is good for Americans daunted by one big walking session. And a  2005 study found that walking briskly for just 35 minutes, five times a week had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. When researchers tracked people who walked for 40 minutes three times per week, they found that the volume of their hippocampus increased by 2 percent. And while that might seem small, the 2 percent increase reversed age-related volume loss by one to two years - significantly reducing the risk of dementia and memory dysfunction.

Of course, everyone knows that in the ranking of best-for-you exercises, running is better than walking, right?

Not necessarily, and especially not when it comes to cardiovascular health. A 2013 study found that walkers who cover the same mileage as runners enjoy comparable reductions in high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. While it took twice as long for walkers to cover the distance, walking may be a more sustainable and accessible activity. Pregnant? Morbidly obese? Arthritic? Walking is gentle enough for most people who have these conditions and the activity can help ease the pain of chronic illness -- even if you have to start off by walking just two minutes a day.

Dutch researcher Luiz Carlos Hespanhol points out that in general, running simply delivers health benefits more efficiently than walking does. One study, for example, found that five minutes of running per day is as beneficial as 15 minutes of walking.

Runners impact the ground with three times their body weight with each step while walking only produces an impact of 1.5 times your body weight. This is especially important if you are overweight or already have developed joint problems. And walking is still is a weight-bearing exercise that may prevent bone loss.

It is easier to set a fat-burning pace and work out for the necessary amount of time to burn fat when you are walking as opposed to running. A fat-burning pace is one where you are breathing noticeably but able to carry on a conversation. Walking at a brisk pace for 45 minutes or longer will result in burning stored body fat, including the harmful internal belly fat that accumulates around your heart and liver.

Other wins for walking:
Walkers sweat less - In many climates, you can walk during lunch without needing to shower.
Walkers can be champions - If you learn to race-walk you will have a great chance at winning trophies at races, whereas a recreational runner has no chance at all. As a master, you can often win your age group even as a beginner. Also, keep in mind that at most races such as a half-marathon or marathon you will get the same medal at the finish as those who reached the finish line in half of the time. You just got to enjoy the course for longer.

Walkers never hit the wall - Runners face hitting the wall, Burning out all available fuel and experiencing extreme fatigue. Walkers generally do not hit the wall on a marathon because they use fully aerobic, fat-burning energy sources. Walkers can refuel as they go and their bodies have the time it takes to digest and use the fuel.

So how fast do we need to walk?

If you’re walking at a clip where it feels comfortable to talk, but not comfortable enough to sing, then your heart is getting a great workout. Plus everyone around you will be entertained by your trying to sing.

And how far should we walk?
Many people aim for a daily goal of 10,000 steps (or about 5 miles)—and an industry of fitness tracking devices has emerged to support them—but that magic number didn’t originate from scientific research, says John Schuna Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor of kinesiology at Oregon State College of Public Health and Human Sciences in Corvallis. “It was first used in a Japanese marketing effort associated with one of the first commercial pedometers.” The device was called “manpo-kei,” which means "10,000 steps meter” in Japanese.

“The 10,000-steps goal is thought to be a realistic minimum, and it’s good, but for complete risk reduction, people should aim for more,” says William Tigbe, M.D., Ph.D., a physician and public health researcher at University of Warwick and lead author of the study showing that 15,000 steps per day can lead to greater benefits. “In our study, those who took 5,000 extra steps had no metabolic syndrome risk factors at all.”

Where does this leave us?
Running may improve your health more efficiently than walking does and has greater health benefits per time invested. But even a small amount of running carries more injury risk than walking. And a lot of running (i.e., ultramarathon training) can easily be harmful, while the same is not likely true for walking.

So on running versus walking, it really depends on your values and preferences: "One could choose walking instead of running as a mode of physical activity based on injury risks, since walking is less risky than running," he explained. Or alternatively: "One could choose running because the health benefits are larger and come faster, in a shorter period of time."

And as far as that age-old fitness question: What is the best exercise you can do to most effectively improve your overall health and wellbeing? The definitive answer agreed upon by all experts without exception - the best form of exercise is - the one that you will actually do.

So if running puts a smile on your face, get out and run. If it's yoga you love, Namaste. There may be room in our wellness journeys for weightlifting, HIIT, Zumba, Aquacize, pole dancing, rock climbing, Pickleball, rodeo, waltzing, boxing, Tai Chi, paddleboarding, soccer, fencing, cycling, Barre, Judo or swimming. And if it's walking you choose, I hope you'll choose to join our own North Denver EverWalkers the first Saturday of every month at Sloans Lake. We meet on the playground by the parking lot at 26th and Tennyson. All ages, abilities and walking paces welcomed!