Walking: The Perfect Stressor
- May 20
- 4 min read
Movement and Walking over the Lifespan
Ever consider how the physical stressors, which keep us healthy, change over our lifetimes? Infants, are tasked with mastering independent rolling, sitting, crawling, and standing. Children engage in skipping, sprinting, jogging, and somersaulting. Older children may emphasize more skillful tasks such as gymnastics, baseball, football or soccer. And young adults may even work to master these more skillful activities in their early and middle adult years. There is research suggesting that the brain maintains record of these "younger ways of moving" and that older adults may improve their health by returning to some of the activities engaged in during younger years, but that is fodder for another blog post!
What is the one physical stressor that, after the first year of life, continues over our lifespan?.....Walking!
Humans literally spend their first year of life preparing for the primary stressor that they will continue throughout their lifetime. That first year, through rolling, sitting, crawling and standing, infants gain the trunk control, stability, strength and the coordination necessary to begin taking their first steps into the world. And, once they begin walking, there is no stopping them. They will continue walking their entire life, barring any unexpected, major functional health changes.
Most adults do not continue somersaulting, skipping, or sprinting throughout their lives, but walking will likely always remain for them a good stressor. After my 30+ years of working as a physical therapist, I can say that no matter what a person's health challenges, "walking should ALWAYS be the goal". It might have to be modified or tweaked, but it is always a good stressor. Even after an individual undergoes open heart surgery--the chest cut open, the ribs spread, and the vital vessels of the heart manipulated--guess what's on the agenda for that patient at the end of that day or the next morning?.....Walking! If an individual breaks a leg requiring surgical stabilization, the goal is still to get that individual on their feet as soon as possible. When a women has a baby, what is one of the first things that the nurses will make sure that she does?...Walk to the bathroom!
Walking is always just the right stressor to promote both function and healing. Somersaults, skipping, and jumping would not likely be recommended right after open heart surgery or after a fracture, but walking, yes! Walking places healthy levels of demand on the heart, the blood vessels, the muscles/ligaments/tendons/bones, and even on the digestive system, the immune system, and the gut microbiome. And guess what happens to people when they do not experience the stress of walking consistently enough? They are much less likely to thrive and survive!
So, get your steps in today! The current recommendation is 10,000 steps per day, which is equivalent to approximately 5 miles.
Mindful Activity Suggestions
Try a 15 to 30 minute walk, depending on your tolerance. Modify as needed (Use a cane or walking stick for balance or improved comfort, or slow your pace down if necessary, etc.)
Set your timer to go off every 6 minutes or time yourself on your watch.
First 6 minutes: pay attention to as many things as your can that you can HEAR during your walk. Try to commit at least 5 of those sounds to memory.
Second 6 minutes: pay attention to as many interesting things that your notice VISUALLY. Try to commit 5 of them to memory.
Third 6 minutes: pay attention to as many things that you can SMELL in your environment.
Fourth timer: pay attention to how your body FEELS as you walk....from head to toe.
And lastly: pay attention to HOW you are walking...ask questions like:
Do I spend equal time on both feet?
Do I feel just as comfortable with both steps?
Where is the pressure when my foot hits the ground? And what about before I "push off"?
When does my hip move more laterally than my foot?
Do I move slowly? Smoothly?
Do my arms swing? Does my trunk rotate?
And Enjoy the stressor that will keep you healthy!
Disclaimer: This BLOG is for Educational Purposes, Only. This information provided is educational and informational in nature and is made only as general information. The information does not establish a patient-provider relationship, establish a standard of care, or offer medical, dietary, or therapeutic care, advice, opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. This information does not replace independent professional or medical judgment and should not be relied upon as medical, psychological, or other professional advice of any kind or nature whatsoever. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating any mental or physical health problem or disease. You are solely responsible for any action taken based on your interpretation of this information and you are responsible for your own health care decision-making by obtaining any necessary consultations with appropriately licensed health care professionals such as physicians and psychologists.
If you'd like more holistic health education and access to mindfulness-based exercise, check out our Mindful Movement Group, hosted on Zoom, Wed 11am-noon, EST
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