“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.” – The Buddha
Now that summer is in full swing, more and more of us are getting out and staying active. It is a time when I like to go for a walk to observe nature in all its vitality.
Walking is one of the most useful exercises we have because it offers us so Many key health benefits, listed by many, many studies:
- Even one hour a week at an average pace reduces the risk of hip fracture by 6% in postmenopausal women, while walking for at least four hours a week was associated with a 41% lower risk of fracture (Feskanich et al. al. 2002).
- Walking reduces the tendency for high blood pressure, the risk of blood clots and stroke, and multiple cardiovascular risk factors (Murtagh et al. 2015).
- In older adults, walking more is correlated with a lower risk of depression and higher quality of life (Arrieta et al. 2018).
- Brisk walking improves oxygen absorption and cardiovascular fitness, as well as muscle tone, while alkalizing the body.
But I would say that simply getting on a treadmill for 10 to 15 minutes every other day, while you get all those benefits and more, is kind of pointless. Walking outdoors It gives us the opportunity to reconnect with the world around us, ideally in a relaxing natural environment like a park or trail, or at least a tree-lined sidewalk. Research shows that people who walk in parks tend to gain more benefits due to fewer interruptions to their walking due to traffic or other hazards they must navigate (Sellers et al. 2012).
When we walk outside, we can enjoy the breeze, the rain, the sun, the leaves – everything the world has to offer. And reconnects us with ourselves in a very useful way: Walking upright on two legs is the defining trait of human lineage. Although today we have become accustomed to sitting more than standing, walking regularly on two legs is considered a uniquely human trait. Taking the time to walk (put our feet on the ground and feel them, as the Buddhist saying goes) can offer us a type of internal realignment that very few exercise methods provide.
While we enjoy the summer, we have the opportunity to celebrate all the positive things that walking has to offer. If you can, take advantage of that opportunity on a park or garden path; Let your feet touch the ground, aware of all the good things that walking outdoors can bring you.
But if you can’t, don’t worry! No matter how you like to do it (in groups, alone, fast or slow, listening to music or meditating), simply walk. Do it regularly. Do it 30 minutes a day, add some weight with a weighted vest or weighted belt for even greater impact and your bones and entire body will thrive.
References
Arrieta H, Rezola-Pardo C, Echevarría I, et al. Physical activity and fitness are associated with verbal memory, quality of life, and depression among nursing home residents: Preliminary data from a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. March 27, 2018; 18 (1): 80. doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0770-y.
Feskanich D, Willett W, Colditz G. Walking and leisure activity and risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women. JAMA. 288(18):2300-2306.
Murtagh EM, Nichols L, Mohammed MA, et al. The effect of walking on risk factors for cardiovascular disease: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Previous medicine. March 2015; 72: 34-43.
Sellers CE, Grant PM, Ryan CG, et al. Take a walk in the park? A crossover pilot comparing brisk walking in two different environments: park and urban. Previous medicine. 2012 November;55(5):438-43.
