6 Reasons You NEED To Start Walking More!

You’ve probably seen either on TV or in your neighborhood, the ‘walking’ crew. It tends to be an older population, they are wearing sweat suits, and maybe even some ankle or arm weights. 

This may make you laugh to see someone do this now because you think “that’s so stupid, that’s hardly a workout”, but these people were really on to something. 

Trust me, I know because those were my thoughts. What’s the point? That doesn’t burn enough calories to be a good workout, and it doesn’t build muscle. 

But like a lot of things when it comes to my perception of training over time, fitness is more about the big picture and playing the long game, rather than the immediate returns. 

Let’s break down these points, and really think of not just right now, but also 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and 30 years from now. All of these concepts will need to be considered.

1. Inactivity and Mortality  

You and I are modern day humans. We just don’t need to move much. We need to only do the work that our job and possibly family environment puts on us. 

If you look at the lifestyle of those living in tribes that closely relate to our ancestors, we see them walk 7-9 miles a day. 

Now I’m not suggesting you start walking 7 miles a day, as I doubt most people have the time. 

But inactivity will likely lead to more immobility, and what’s even more fascinating, is the correlation to steps in a day and mortality rate. 

Look at this chart below how there’s such a dramatic decrease in death rates

If someone was new to exercise, I would honestly show them this and just have them walk. 

Clearly there is a benefit to hitting that 10K steps, and not an unrealistic standard. 

It’s approximately 45-60 minutes of walking a day, with a heavily sedentary job. I know because this is what I have. Yet if I include 3, 15-20 minutes of walking a day, I easily hit the 10K. 

2. Posture and Joints

One important factor we all forget is that gravity is actually forcing you into the earth every day. This sounds obvious but let’s look at the stress of the lower spine. 

Consider stress % on the low back at these positions 

• Laying in bed 50% 

• Standing upright with posture 100%

• Sitting with posture 120%

• Sitting with rounded posture 190%

So you have gravity pushing you down and nearly 2x the relative load it would if you were standing….or maybe going for a walk. 

Even at a standing desk could have chronic stress, so therefore the act of consciously walking throughout the day is so helpful. 

If you have back pain, try to time out walking breaks once every 1.5-2 hours for literally 5 minutes. 

And this is the one of the lowest impact forms of activity that a person can do. Easy on the joints and great on the health.  

3. Lowers Cortisol

All higher intensity exercise has a response of cortisol, the stress hormone, for a good reason. It’s a part of the breakdown and repair mechanism. However, walking doesn’t have this effect. It does the opposite. 

Walking actually improves your recovery by lowering the relative level of cortisol. 

If every day you do training that stimulates a cortisol response your body has a harder and harder time fighting it. This can lead to over training. 

However, if you counter those intensity days with more walking it can be really a form of recovery. And therefore I encourage people to think of walking as ‘activity’ not exercise, because of these positive benefits. 

4. Improves Aerobic System

If you’re in a zone from 50-60% of your predicted heart rate max, you’re hitting a sweet zone for improving aerobic work. It’s boring to a lot of people but it’s improving the aerobic system in a different way than the others. 

It’s improving the heart to work at the lower intensity movements but daily movements you do every day, and this part of the aerobic system also needs to kick into gear for your recovery between higher intensity training, like interval training, strength training and even sport. 

It may seem like this is tedious work but it’s going to help after when you’re doing the really intense work too.  

5. Metabolism - Fat Loss and Maintenance

This was the biggest eye opener to me. Walking is one of the biggest variations points on your overall metabolism. 

When someone needs to determine their metabolic rate there are 2 major things to know. 

• Body composition (lean mass vs. fat mass – thus you kind of know how much muscle they have)

• Steps in a day 

The walking is a huge difference. I have a hard time creating a calorie equation prediction for a client without knowing approximate steps in the day. 

You want to know your predicted calorie output! It’s like shooting at a target in the dark if you don’t know roughly how active they are. How else would you know if you’re in a deficit? 

Example – a day I’m active and in the gym walking around, I burn easily another 300-500 calories. Now on a day I’m at home, I need to consider that calorie difference. Either by ensure I walk intentionally or I should eat less to ensure my deficit is there. 

And just as important – AFTER the fat loss. So once you’ve gotten to your goal body composition, you truly want to keep that habit. Because of all the other reasons AND so you don’t yo-yo your weight back up again. You simply keep that activity and increase your calories to a maintenance level.

Now if you had used cardio methods you don’t enjoy, like long duration running or steppers that you suffer through, do you think you’ll sustain that discipline?

Unlikely, and I don’t blame you. The walking is a method that has so many other benefits and it increases your calories output.

So wouldn’t you say 10K steps a bit more realistic and sustainable?  

6. Character Change

So, this was a big one for me. 

I was that guy who would do all the cardio for vacation and then be lazy AF when I got there. 

I was that guy who would find the closest parking spot. 

I thought taking the stairs was stupid. 

Now I just look for reasons to walk places! I usually take the stairs, 10 flights up to my apartment!

It’s kind of mentally freeing to recognize “Walking a little distance is not hard.” And becoming someone who enjoys the idea of movement more.

We have so much access and ease with our lives now, and a lot of communities are built around urban spread, meaning things are just out of walking reach. 

I’m luckily now in an area where I can walk to a grocery store and generally enjoy that. 

I park farther from locations because why not move my legs a bit more? 

This point feeds into the last one because you probably have body composition goals, and you need your mindset to change around what it means to get fit and stay fit. 

This is why, I say you need to not always think about the instant intensity, but rather the long-term picture of something you can continue to do and enjoy. 

This mindset will make you a more energetic person. I guarantee it. 

So, after reading this, I have one simple challenge. 

Take a walk. 

I don’t care if it’s 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or an hour. But I dare you to move and recognize everything you just read. 

Notice how you feel after. 

If it works, keep doing it every day, maybe even 3 times a day. 

You’ll get all those physical benefits, plus you’re walking into that new character too.