Benefits of Walking
klimy.co
klimy.co
Walking is different. It's almost always pleasant, and the feeling I get after a good walk is similar to the one I get after a run (though I usually have to walk about twice as far as I would have run.) During the walk, I experience a calm, meditative peace that I really enjoy. I don't even need to have headphones on to enjoy walking!
If you find yourself in the position where you feel like you have to run to stay healthy, it might be worth mixing it up with walking. And if running is overwhelming, don't underestimate the benefits of a good walk. It's still the most underrated way to exercise.
The benefits of it are too immense to ignore.
Over time school, then work, then life simply got in the way and my exercise lapsed. Now in middle age I worked up a minor health issue and my doctor strongly encouraged me to start up on cardio again -- this coincided with both the start of COVID lockdowns and wasn't long after a move to an area with lots of trails nearby.
So I started walking about an hour 3 times a week as weather permitted. Health condition went away, blood pressure dropped, mood improved, sleep improved. I also started enjoying the changing of the seasons more, enjoying nature, being outdoors and all that. I started feeling like eating crap wasn't "right" and started eating better. It's like an entire cascade of wellness.
Not once have I gone for a walk and thought "I'd rather not be doing this" like with running. In fact I usually look forward to my walk and look for excuses to go on one.
Turns out I should have just gone walking all the time instead.
So for everyone here who says they don’t like to run - that’s fine, get on the stairmaster or pick up a kettlebell or medicine ball and do some swings and tosses and side movements. Running will seem like a walk in the park by comparison.
Is there any research to back that? Everything I’ve ready says that it is not a fatality and that it is possible to run, for many years (life?) without destroying your joints.
It’s my understanding that your statement is as accurate as saying “driving a car will result in you getting in a car accident”. It’s extremely possible and it has happened to many people but it doesn’t mean it _has_ to happen
I've bought barefoot shoes myself and it is true that I tend to step more on a front part of the foot as well.
I knew a few people who've done well over 200 marathons (a couple are well over 500, one is over 1500 IIRC, one did >250 in a calendar year) without destroying their joints. Now it might be that their running style (invariably "slow and easy") that lets them do that many marathons also contributes to them avoiding this issue.
I've noticed this effect strongly with all forms of exercise. The better shape I'm in, the more I naturally gravitate to healthier habits in my diet and elsewhere. Working out more has an awesome compounding positive effect.
Modern research has identified that the major mediator of exercise's physiological benefits is the down-regulation of the adrenal axis.[1] In other words, activating the fight-or-flight sensation is a key component of an exercise program. It's also why very high-intensity exercise seems to produce the most rapid improvement in key biomarkers.[2]
Many people don't like vigorous exercise because they feel like they're dying from the strain. However that painful stressful feeling is largely essential to the process.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010733/ [2] https://www.sciencealert.com/just-12-minutes-of-intense-exer...
Incidentally running 30 minutes twice a week has been the best thing I ever did for my health. I feel better now than I did in my 20s and that was over 20 years ago!
Not clear which group the people in this thread belong to, but jogging does seem to polarize.
Now I hike, and I love that. I don't think I'll ever lose enough muscle and fat to get down to where running feels good again.
For bike trails, there is an effort to connect Maine to Florida called the East Coast Greenway: https://www.greenway.org/
Having used it myself, it's not continuous but certainly better than nothing.
You just leave the city and turn to any random small road and you can relax. My favorite are the farming land near Lublin. 30 minutes from the city center there are roads where you pass 1 car per hour :)
https://live.staticflickr.com/7264/6999476374_94c82f49dc_o.j...
I think that "feeling better afterwards" _is_ runner's high.
I’d argue that when going for a run at some point it feels like the effort becomes paradoxically effortless and you’re in the “now”, then that’s it. The “feeling better afterwards” is more like aftershock.
(BTW although Info experience the high, I don’t like running, but I do it because there’s such a quick bang for the buck in terms of cardio training, and it’s basically “no excuses” frictionless: dress up, shoes on, go)
“Feeling better” is a given after most training sessions, and I use it as a marker for not being overtrained.
However, there is no way for me to force the “high”. I can facilitate it, maybe. But it mainly comes and goes at it pleases. It may be a fleeting moment or it can last for literal days.
It is like flying. There is no pain - no discomfort at all. The mind disassociates from the body. I am Hermes in his winged sandals. I am God.
I think people like Cal Newport actually proposed taking long walks without listening to anything, and I find this idea reasonable. After 15 to 20 minutes my mind settles into a state of being able to come up with ideas and deep reflections that would usually not be possible when I’m simply sitting indoors being distracted by some digital device.
One night, on a drinking holiday, I was ran over from the back (while on the sidewalk/side of street, mind you) while on my nightly walk, and crippled permanently by a hit-and-run driver that was never found. (C5 level non-complete quadriplegia)
I miss my walks immensely. They used to put my mind at ease like nothing I have found since.
No point in this comment other than to express my envy towards those can enjoy such a hobby still , and to express a bit of loneliness and hard-to-reconcile personal emotions when told the benefits of walking.
I know, already! I wish I could!
I was very fit my entire life through very little additional effort other than nightly walks & some lucky genetics -- although unfortunately those hobbies landed me into a net-negative position -- I suggest the hobby to anyone that has a few minutes to spare a day.
I hope that pedestrian safety and road design continues to improve.
I started walking at a rhythm of 5 hours a week minimum three years ago. And I must say, without exaggeration, that I am a different man now. I haven't been sick for 2.5 years; I feel that my immune system is stronger now. Before that, I used to get sick, angina or whatever, twice a year. Also, my legs have become more muscular and my face has become thinner, which makes me look more attractive. I'm 18 again ;-)
The first 8 days of our 14 day travel quarantine have gone mostly fine, but I've noticed my muscle mass dropping rapidly, despite some isometric exercises and bodyweight squats in the shower.
There's about 2 feet between the foot of the bed and the wall, and 2 feet between the left side of the bed and the wall. Some of that space is taken by our luggage from spending all of November abroad. We've put as much as we can under the bed. We have no chairs in here. There's a writing surface attached to the wall at the foot of the bed that my wife uses for her laptop while working remotely. I work remotely while lying down on the bed, since my wife gets back problems much more easily than I do.
I'm aware of cardiovascular and gallstone risk from immobility and rapid fat loss. We thankfully brought 90 days' worth of multivitamins with us on our 30-day trip. (The government changed quarantine policy while we were away. We planned for this possibility, or the possibility of being stranded abroad for a few months, but were hoping to be able to spend our 14 days of quarantine at home. We're glad we planned ahead.)
I like burpees, but the ceiling is barely taller than a standard door frame. Also, I think it would be very careful to come down and not flare my elbows wider than 2 feet. The bathroom is so small that they use a mini square sink, maybe 10 inch diagonal. Maybe I could kick my feet out of the shower and next to the toilet, but that still wouldn't solve the ceiling height issue, and I'd probably eventually injure myself by accidentally kicking the toilet.
On a side note, I have a buddy who was using burpees for Tabata training in his kitchen. His wife complained about the sweat on the floor, so he did them on a towel. He stopped doing Tabata when his towel slipped and he hit his chin hard on the tile.
Three words you rarely see together.
I acknowledge they're great for you, but it's hell to do even just five of them in a set.
I don't know anyone who enjoys them other than for the challenge of being able to do a ridiculous number of them in a single set.
The bedroom, toilet, and shower in total area of 8 sq. m. / 86 square feet. That's 8 by 10.5 feet, with a double bed taking up most of it, and a pair of glass walls separating the toilet and shower areas. I haven't measured it, but it's advertised as 8 square m, and looks roughly 8 by 10.5.
For the long term, consult a doctor and a trainer when you adopt a regimen.
The health benefits are great:
“In a 10-year study published in February, researchers reported that men who can do 40 pushups have a whopping 96% lower risk of heart disease than guys who can't muster 10.”[0]
I had a hard time breaking 37 in one go until I started doing a second set one minute after the first. I could do about ten before failure in second set and soon I was breaking 40 in the first set.
[0] https://www.webmd.com/men/features/pushups-help-mens-hearts
That's a very small amount of people then.
Then put the luggage on the bed to free up space and otherwise arrange the environment to maximize things. If you get in the way of each other, you can take turns in the bathroom to free space.
Then try some HIIT and bodyweight exercises in rapid succession:
* Jumping jacks
* Jumping squats
* Push ups
* crabwalk
* army crawl
* Lifting and carrying each other. Can be an assisted life if you can’t do a full one.
* shoulder raises. Some books or other objects can be good here
* Bicep curls with any available objects. Even 5 lb is better than nothing
* Planks, side planks
* Dips on a chair
* running in place
All of these are simple, none of them risk injury, and all can be done in an extremely tiny space.
Depending on reps and exertion you can do them 1-3x a day. Alternate exercises if needed
You can also pace back and forth in the tiny strip you create with luggage on the bed. Lack of walking may actually be the hardest part of your space compared to exercise. Doesn’t sound like much fun pacing that small a strip. Like 3-4 steps?
Good luck! There’s plenty more bodyweight exercises out there, the ones above are just those I’ve done regularly. You can tire your muscles and get your heart racing in 5-7 min with those.
If I misjudged the space, you can do most of those exercises semi effectively on the bed with luggage on the floor. Just don’t push as hard.
It should be doable though. I actually do most of those daily in my spare room, around the corner of a bed. Eg for squats I face the corner of the bed. For pushups my legs go along the bed lengthwise, my arms fan out on the other side of the corner.
Just wanted to add to the OP: If you do walks of any length in that space, make sure to alternate which way you turn around.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quiet+cardio
I've tried them out myself and they sure get the ticker pumping. I managed to save myself from having to buy an exercise bike (which I know I'll never touch after COVID).
As for muscle mass loss, I wonder if you could increase the amount of protein in your daily diet (eggs, white meat, etc.)?
I'm pretty sure not leaving the house for 13 days is pretty standard for an American family over the holidays and Winter, esp this year, though I guess I'm not sure if they're staying healthy either.
- it unglues me from devices (I don't listen to anything during most of my walks)
- it makes me open to sensual details of the world (such as: frozen dew on grass makes nice crunchy sound when walked on)
- it makes me explore and connect to my surrounding area
- it makes me feel good after I've finished the walk (nothing like coming back home after a nice walk outside).
Sometimes I feel like I'm too tired to go for a walk in the evening, but it's just "brain fog" from all day of sitting and thinking and being stressed in job. If I force myself to go out, usually I feel ok after 10-15 minutes of walking and can easily walk for 1-3 hours feeling energized rather that tired. For reference, my daily average walking distance over past 2 years is 5 kilometers.
I have been running 5-7km twice per week since May and I loved how it made me feel, but then comes the pain... lower back... hip flexors... hamstring tightness... Not from my runs but from my job.
This just really drags me down. I have been off the runs for 2 weeks as my hip hurts mid way through my run and this leads to breaking my new found enjoyment and after a few weeks, I will be lazy as I break my routine.
The only thing that would help would be a seat that is like sitting inside a cylinder that rotates from 0-45 degrees on a second by second basis throughout the working day so that no part of the body is strained.
Desks and computers don't work for me and I really worry about a day where I cannot stand due to pain or sit due to pain which naturally effects my output.
I am 38 and feel like no one else is suffering these problems.
Misery is very, very much out there. Loves company as well. Having a few million dollars would only fix 1/3 of my problems I suppose. Money would definitely put me on the right path to being able to possibly get better, but some medical conditions you get for no damn reason are hard to manage with even the best of the doctors within the U.S., and some people with said medical problems don't even have parents who give the slightest fuck about them. Cruel world sometimes, fairly easy to insulate from if you're healthy in the first world tho...
I decided to break the habit. I did yoga daily for the last year 20-30 min to stretch and strengthen muscles that were weak, using primarily Yoga with Adrienne or Sara Beth Yoga on YouTube. Then I started running slowly - as in following the MAF180 protocol and going real slow while keeping my heart rate in the aerobic zone.
Result? I am now doing 40-50km per week with no pain, and I’ve done three half marathons and working to a marathon in the spring.
I am convinced most people have issues because they have muscle imbalances (yoga helps) and they go out at too fast of a pace.
Can I ask you two questions from the other side of this?
- I've spent quite a while searching through yoga videos on YouTube without being able to figure out what a good progression from easy to difficult might look like. Mind sharing some of the ones you found worked the best for you on a regular basis?
- I noticed a lot of yoga videos involve rounding your back eg in toe touching movements. This really put me off because from everything I've read (a lot of Stuart McGill), movements that take your spine out of neutral position and put load on it are bad for the long term health of your back. Did the yoga you practiced involve these movements? Did you notice any ill effects on your back health?
Rounding your back is only an issue when loaded. You don't wanna round it when squatting or deadlifting (but the Barbell Medicine folks will tell you it's not that big of deal, most of the time). If you're just moving your body on its own, you should absolutely do things that involve rounding your back, like touching your toes. If your back wasn't meant to move that way, it probably wouldn't move that way... or at the very least your body would immediately give you warning signs to make you stop doing that (like when you try to bend a joint the wrong way).
These advanced gymnasts stood on a box, bent down with straight legs touching their toes, grabbed onto barbell with light weights, keeping their legs straight, slowly stood up keeping the barbell close to their body.
The explanation was the back is designed to do that and if you don't it you lose the ability.
That's not something I would ever attempt, but goes to show if you know what you're doing and have the necessary foundation in strength and flexibility, round back is not only OK but necessary to keep range of motion and strength. Again, I would never attempt that myself.
Now I'm sure that the optimal answer to that would be to make sure you correctly practice yoga. But the back is probably the worst joint I can think of injuring, and at the same time I'm basically just watching youtube videos and copying them - which isn't really a guarantee of correct practice. So I try to err on the side of caution by keeping my spine neutral :)
Re rounding your back - this is an example of what I am talking about above. If you are rounding your back as you touch your toes, this is an example of not focusing on the right thing. You should be hinging at the hips, not the lower back. If you can’t touch the floor without rounding your back, then either don’t touch the floor or bend your knees enough to let you touch the floor (each of these options focuses on stretching different things).
Good luck & Namaste!
The trick of floor sitting is that you can make drastic postural shifts throughout the day. It's a natural way to get in a stretch. So it's the better way to sit if you find yourself squirming and uncomfortable. All you need to do desk work on the floor is a way to put the screen at a comfortable height, and a lap desk - a large one with padding will rest easily in many configurations. If you need back support there are floor chairs; I have one and use it sometimes, but not always.
The secret, while you have the pain, is to stay tuned into it while doing different exercises and activities until you find the muscle combinations that avoid it. General physical therapy exercises that make you use your hip muscles, and weightlifting, both help you notice that your hip hurts when you do this, but not when you do that.
Each time, my lower-back pain permanently went away when I changed my life situation.
My guess is that you hate some aspect of your job, probably your boss, but the idea is suppressed. Try to find out how you really feel and then you'll know what action is right for you. A therapist can assist you in this.
I feel that walking is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal.
I couldn't sit for a few minutes anymore without pain and all I could do was stand, sleep or walk (luckily this still kept me going by working on the bed) and since I was too lazy to go to gym or just walk to a nearby park routinely, I decided to force myself to walk by renting a small office at < 30min distance and put my work gear over there, so I had to go to work and come back to sleep.
Back has since been doing good and will keep this habit as I hate to work like a worm again.
In addition to logging ~2500 miles, I found it easier to disengage from work and prepare myself to engage in family time which both take a different mentality.
I might have never felt as healthy, even though I'm also a long distance runner and exercise regularly.
There is little enjoyment if you are constantly struggling. A smartwatch can give you a pretty good idea of how difficult a run is based on your pulse.
I feel _so_ much better after a walk; I have better concentration and increased motivation to tackle difficult problems. Even if I'm having a particularly busy day or with a deadline coming up, I'd rather sacrifice some personal time after hours than my walks.
You'll be surprised at how much you learn about your world and community. The goal isn't to fix the world as only one person, but to raise awareness and humility. Lots more. I ended up on TV a couple times for it https://joshuaspodek.com/im-on-tv-again-for-plogging and approached by politicians.
I don't use gloves, but you can. In Manhattan I carry it to the next wastebasket I pass, but you could also bring a bag.
To your point, it also documents that we're increasing virgin plastic production, to say nothing of all other sorts of litter and waste.
Of course walking is going to be better than a sedentary lifestyle. I'd like to know if going on walks has any benefits for people who already work out regularly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_iyYZwG1IE
A week ago, I actually helped out a guy that went for a run half a year after a heart attack. Was not good idea, almost had another. Called the ambulance for him. Some people are addicted to running. If he switched to rollerblading, probably would have been okay.
Kayaking is also awesome. More people should try it.
I try to be healthy, but read somewhere that sitting for long periods is about the same as smoking.
So after seeing Wolfram walking on a treadmill while working on the computer, it convinced me to do the same.
I have a ikea standing desk, and a movable walk pad underneath. I try to walk about 30 to 60 min a day. It actually works really great. You can still read properly while walking, and if you can rest your wrists, typing and mouse are no problem.
Highly recommended!
The last three months I started walking 4km each day at a pace of 12 minutes per kilometer.
Mentally it is game changing. I began remembering childhood memories, came up with new ideas, start connecting dots of what I've listened and read, and noticed a huge boost on my mood.
I look forward each day for my afternoon walk.
In the last couple of years, one of the ways in which I've been trying to get extra exercise is to take a bit of extra time and perform errands partially or entirely on foot instead of relying on public transportation or driving. I generally try to do all my trips shorter than 2 miles or so on foot.
I used to run in my 20's but I busted my knees. Now, every Sunday I walk ~15km. It takes me about 3 hours. I live in Sydney so it's hilly and the weather is nice (most of the time).
For me, a big catalyst was the acquisition of a Fitbit. Having an easy way to count the steps is a big help.
1. Environment - I need a quiet & safe path. You can find this in most cities with enough trial & error. Try different streets at different times. You will eventually find a way to walk wherever you want, whenever you want, without much traffic noise or street-crossing risk.
2. Equipment - Great shoes, better socks, water, and protection from wind, sun, cold, and rain. Here's what works for me:
- Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion, https://darntough.com/collections/mens-hike-trek/products/bo... . You can get 6-packs on Amazon for $20/pair. My pairs last me about 750 miles, far longer than all the other socks I've tried.
- Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II Waterproof Hiking Boot - Wide, https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-newton-ridge-wide-1594732.ht... . This is a waterproof sneaker with ankle protection and grippy tread. The shoes are flat on the inside, great for walking not running. I've gone through six pairs. They last me about 750 miles each. I went most of my life wearing shoes that were too narrow. Walking suddenly became comfortable when I got wide enough shoes.
- Thermos Intak 24 bottle, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VJX4C4 . I own 8 of these, grab a clean one each day, and wash them in the dishwasher. You can remove the ring seal with a fork. You can order replacement parts from Thermos customer service.
- Tortuga Outbreaker Daypack, https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/products/outbreaker-travel-... . The side mesh pockets are perfect.
- Tilley LTM6 Airflow hat, https://www.tilley.com/us_en/ltm6-airflo-hat.html . Super durable, floats, non-adsorbent, ventilated, lightweight. I've crammed this in my backpack nearly every day for 3 years and it still looks nice. Walking takes time, so you will get more UV exposure. Protect your skin to avoid looking old.
- Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket. It's light weight. It blocks the wind and rain. It rolls up to a small package. Mine is wearing out after 3 years. It fits well in an Eagle Creek Pack-It Spectre "Sac" medium. Get a bright color to reduce evening street-crossing risk.
- Uniqlo merino sweaters. Soft, warm, light weight, don't pill, and last forever. I wash mine in a front-loading washer, on the delicate warm cycle, with standard detergent, and hang them up to dry. I own 4. The oldest has been worn about 100 times, washed about 10 times, and still looks great.
- Cheap synthetic beanie hat. This can warm you as much as a sweater. Buy a bunch so you always have a clean one, and have extras for friends.
Happy walking! :)
Definitely recommend an Apple Watch to keep track of your metrics.
> Even though it can seem like a lousy idea[...]
Huh
> Improving mood by 54%.
> the research has shown
How uncannilly mordant -- that one needs statistics and scientific studies to know how to be human.
I hope the history of academia's roots don't escape anyone; we've traded one omnipotent figurehead for another.
Apologies, author. I know you had to pump this up so Google et al. would even consider indexing this piece at any useful level -- or that anyone would read or discuss a piece with just:
> Put any shoes that you have on. Put any clothes that you have on. Just simply, walk outside and move one leg after another.
> The motion is simple. The results are profound.
In the body.
I'm imaging a Twitter; where instead of writing out meaningless twaddle, there are pithy and brief "learnings" -- like fortune cookies for the soul.
Life would be simpler, if we condensed it all down to only the most basic principles.