I reckon pretty much everyone can walk. You learn to walk from around 9 months. Lets say 12 months average - so by the age of 10, you will have been walking for 9 years. Thats a lot really - and considering walking is our main mode of small transportation (think around the home, at school, at the mall etc) we probably rack up a huge number of miles out of necessity. Then there’s our parents and grandparents who used to walk ‘5 miles to school and back’ on an average day.
Walking is pretty easy for the average person. We don’t even think about it! We wake up, we get up, we walk to the bathroom/kitchen/wardrobe…. walk around the house getting ready for work, walk out the door, sometimes walk to work - or the busstop, but what I’m trying to say is walking is part of every day life - we don’t even think about it. Apparently the average person takes between 8000 and 10000 steps per day. On average this adds up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime. That is around 4 times the circumference of the planet! That is without really thinking about it!
So, does the current walking from room to room, shop to shop and car to work keep you fit? Didn’t think so. Did you know, if your average amount of steps is 8000, and you increase your daily amount by 20%, you’re almost up to 10000 steps. If every step is on average 2ft, that would be an extra 3200ft a day. Thats more than an extra half a mile. So if before you were doing 3 miles, an extra 20% of walking is about 3.7 miles.
3 miles a day isn’t bad - but that extra 0.7 miles is what will make a difference. I’m talking about making walking a thing of effort - putting a little brain into it. So, say in your lunch time - go for a walk around the block, or the mall. It will make a difference! Park a little further away from your office. Take the stairs instead of the lift. When taking the kids to preschool, push the pram instead of taking the car. If you take the bus, get off a stop early. When you get home, or before you go to work, go for a quick walk around the block. Every little bit makes a difference!
So why walk? Well, walking is easy. Its accessible. Its fun. It can be enjoyed with lots of people - your kids, your parents, your grandparents. You can walk down the street or around the mall. You can take a short hike through the local national park. You can go on a multi-day trip through a national park! Walking doesn’t need to be tough. But walking counts. It is an aerobic exercise. You can decide on the pace - all that matters is the consistency of it. In so many ways walking is better than running - you can enjoy the view, it will take a lot longer for your feet to start hurting, and there is a relatively low impact on your joints.
But there are some other reasons walking is a great form of exercise…
It lowers cholestorol.
Walking controls blood pressure.
Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke.
Reduces risk of hip fracture and need for gallstone surgery.
So - walk a little more every day. It won’t cost you anything more than a bit of time. Better yet, invest in a pedometer so you can track your progress easier and walk your way to a healthier lifestyle!
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