Walking for an Improved Life
By: Summer Stafford, Family and Community Wellness agent
The history of fad and trending diets and exercise plans is a long and sorted one. Throughout our lives we’ve heard the new and upcoming attempts to cut calories, move more, and even medicate ourselves to fitness and health- strict calisthenics, low-fat/low sugar, carb conscious diets and more have fueled the fitness realm for years! But one thing remains the same…. Average people need an attainable plan to stay well. Some of you may be surprised (others not at all) that one simple exercise can not only jumpstart your wellness journey but bring on a multitude of long-lasting health benefits and that is walking! Yes, simply walking can actually lengthen your life expectancy and much more. Let’s learn….
The Benefits of Walking Daily
A 2021 study in JAMA Network Open found that people who walked at least 7,000 steps per day had a 50 to 70% lower risk of early death. Another study in 2023, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 11 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, per day could prevent one in ten premature deaths. The American Heart Association claims that across several studies that an increase of 1,000 steps taken daily by the studies’ participants was associated with a 22% lower chance of dying from all causes, the researchers calculated. That alone is worth a try at adding more steps to your daily routine, but there are even more benefits to walking, which include:
Burning calories
Strengthening the heart
Lowering blood sugar
Easing joint pain
Boosting immune function
Boosting energy
Improving mood
In the season of the New Year, new healthy beginnings are certainly upon us and the pressure to do something drastic with your health is high, but I would implore you to try walking for a simple, attainable way to improve your life! The benefits are clear and the ability to increase your steps, even just a little, is so simple to work into your daily life routine. Here are a few ways to increase your steps:
Plan walks: Schedule a daily walk with a friend or coworker!
Take the stairs: Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
Park farther away: Leave your car in a more distant parking spot.
Walk while waiting: Walk around instead of sitting while waiting for appointments or kids’ activities.
Walk and talk: Take phone calls while walking or have walking meetings with colleagues.
Do household chores: You can get steps in while doing chores around the house.
Try indoor walking workouts: You can try walking workouts at home.
Track your steps: Use a step counter or app to see how you’re progressing.
Set realistic goals: Start slowly and build up in small chunks.
Make it fun: Try to have fun while walking.
Find a cause: Pledge to walk a certain number of steps per day for a charity.
One awesome way to create some accountability is to start a fun challenge, like our Walk Kansas program through K-State Research and Extension Wild West District. The challenge will be starting up soon this spring and we encourage you to create a team or walk individually to increase your health and lengthen your lifespan! Watch our Facebook page for more information on the upcoming Walk Kansas program!
