Written by Judy Bortman
Putting one foot in front of the other is a simple act that gets you from place to place. We’re learning that walking is so much more. It’s a lifestyle.
The CDC (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate walking. Their research has shown that walking has a positive impact on the quality and longevity of your life. Walking:
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Reduces stress
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Helps you sleep better
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Improves your mood, memory, learning ability and concentration
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Lowers the risk of chronic disease
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Lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol and strengthens bones
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Contributes to longevity
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Walking instead of driving reduces pollutants going into the air
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And it’s free transportation!
For whatever the speed or purpose, why do you walk? Why should you walk? What is a “walking lifestyle?” Would you really reap benefits from being more ambulatory?
The Walking Gait Cycle
First and foremost walking is a way to get from place to place - for a purpose or as recreation. Whether you’re going from the living room to the kitchen, getting from your car to the front door of your office or from your house to the corner bus station, walking is how people (who are physically able) get around. Walking for exercise, relaxation or a social stroll all contribute to a walking lifestyle.
Why Walk?
Personally I really like to walk and enjoy going for walks that suit my schedule and energy level of the day. Some days walking is a peaceful escape, a time to unwind, a chance to think or problem solve or just appreciate my surroundings. Other days it’s a flexible way to exercise and enjoy being outside.
I imagine if you asked ten people why they walk, you’d get ten answers. I decided to do just that and polled friends, relatives and co-workers asking why they walked. Just as I expected, their replies were a cross section of reasons:
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It makes me feel good.
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I walk my dog.
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I like to be outside in nice weather.
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It’s exercise and a great way to get places a short distance away instead of driving.
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It’s a habit.
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It’s a hobby.
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It’s my preferred way to get around in winter when the roads aren’t conducive to driving.
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It’s like moving meditation.
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It’s a relaxing way to do errands especially after work; I park the car and don’t deal with rush hour traffic.
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It makes me forget about time and things on my to-do list.
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It’s an easy way to stay fit.
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It’s free.
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It’s portable. I take short walks during lunch hour and feel energized during the afternoon.
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It’s a great way to get around transit-friendly cities while on vacation or business travel.
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| A poll among Americans conducted by Christopher Fleury for Kaiser Permanente and GFK in 2013 reveals the body, mind and heart motivations for people to walk. |
Walkability - The New Metric
The term “walkability” is a measure of how friendly an area is for walking. Streets that include features such as wide sidewalks, clearly marked pedestrian crossings and good lighting enable pedestrians to share the road with bicycle riders and motorists in a safe and accessible manner. They’re called “walkable streets.”
You can even measure the walkability of the street where you live or work at
Walk Score and get a commute report to see options for getting around that neighborhood by car, bus, bike and foot. The higher the walk score number, the more you are able to walk to work, shops, services, recreation or connect to transit.
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| Illustration from Walkonomics.org, a British-based company that rates the walkability of streets and plans to do so for every street in the world. |
Last fall I attended the first national conference on walking conducted by America Walks in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente. Leading walking proponents, urban planners, physicians and public health officials from across the United States gathered to grow the walking community and share their research on how walking benefits wellness and stimulates the economy in walkable towns and businesses.
The mission of America Walks is to make American cities and communities walkable places where people can and want to walk. Their information and resources for growing “walkability” are available at
http://www.AmericaWalks.org.
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Attendees at the America Walks Conference “walked their talk”by taking the stairs rather than the escalators between meeting sessions and conducting a mid-morning “walking meeting.”
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Walking to and at Work
In northwest New Jersey, a walking commute is the exception, rather than the rule. However, there is a way to have a commute “hybrid” by incorporating walking into your trip to and from work.
Whether you drive, take the bus or train or ride a bicycle to work, sooner or later you’ll be walking from the parking lot or transit station to get to your office. Walking for even part or of your commute helps reduce traffic congestion which in turn helps the air you breathe while walking. You’ll soon feel the benefits of taking more steps and doing less driving.
Consider adding a few more steps to your day by parking your car a little farther from your office building entrance, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and getting in a short walk before lunch or as a mid-afternoon break. Walking for even ten minutes during the day can help you feel more alert and ultimately be more productive. It burns calories, too.
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| Charles Dickens took a walking break every afternoon at 2pm. |
Charles Dickens, perhaps the greatest of the Victorian novelists, was a man of strict routine. Every day, Dickens would write from 9a.m. to 2p.m. After that, he would put his work away and go out for a long walk. “If I couldn’t walk fast and far, I should just explode and perish,” Dickens wrote.
According to engineering professor Barbara Oakley, author of the new book, A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra), Dickens knew how to make his brain function at a very high level. And for this, Dickens’ walks were just as important as his writing sessions.
Credited to Chris Mooney. From his podcast at Inquiring Minds
Walking to School
In 1960, nearly 60% of students in grades K-8 in the United States walked or biked to school. Today, only 11% are walking or biking. This staggering statistic is being addressed, in part, by free Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs implemented by Transportation Management Associations, like TransOptions, in a growing number of walking-savvy municipalities and school districts.
Initiating walking as a mode of transportation to school benefits the students, their parents, their schools and their communities:
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Children are noted to be alert upon arrival at school and more focused in the classroom.
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Students improve in the classroom and even improve their attendance record.
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Children learn to navigate their neighborhood and meet their neighbors.
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Lines of traffic near schools are reduced meaning less congestion, improved air quality and a safer walking/biking environment.
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Bus transport costs may be reduced.
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An easy opportunity for children to be physically active each day. Increasing walking/biking as part of daily life can help reduce obesity and instill lifelong, healthier habits.
Environmental Benefits of Walking
Walking is inherently important to human health; it also benefits the health of our ecosystems. Walking doesn’t generate air pollution or produce chemicals.
Idling cars create ground level ozone which is known to be an irritant to those with respiratory illnesses like asthma; it also has a negative impact on native plant life.
By walking instead of driving, there are fewer vehicles on the road and less traffic congestion which in turn decrease pollution from ground level ozone.
Walk for Longevity
The first moment that a child takes his or her first steps is a lifetime benchmark. Prince George recently took his first steps and his photo, sans parents holding his hands, got global media attention. He’s achieved a milestone.
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| Prince George taking his first steps |
Walking is a benchmark for seniors, too. It helps them stay physically agile, mentally alert and contributes to their overall longevity. Seniors who have made walking part of their lifestyle are better equipped to remain independent when they’re no longer able to drive; they can walk to errands and appointments or to get to public transit. The growing number of seniors is swelling the ranks of walkers as 8,000 baby boomers in the United States turn age 65 every day from now until 2030.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is already “taking steps” to make his borough walkable and safe
for seniors. Two-hundred-and-two people aged 65 and up were killed by cars in Brooklyn between 2003 and 2012, according to a study conducted by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
Borough President Adams is addressing this growing concern. He has proposed a new plan to move school crossing guards from their normal posts to intersections near nursing homes and senior centers while the school kids are in class. I imagine it’s just a matter of time before this concept is replicated in more towns nationwide.
A Quality of Life Elixir
Walking just 30 minutes per day for five days a week (a total of 150 minutes per week) sustains a walking program and enhances your well-being. What’s even better is that the thirty minutes of walking can be done throughout the day and still be just as effective.
Try walking 10 minutes during your lunch hour, 10 minutes after work and park a little farther out in the parking lot for errands or appointments. Without much effort you can complete 30 minutes of daily walking.
Take a few moments, right NOW and follow Dickens’ advice. Get up. Go for a walk, even for five minutes. It’s free and you’ll feel good. That’s a winning combination!
