“I feel that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend at least four hours a day—and it is usually more than that—in the woods and in the hills and fields, from all worldly preoccupations so free.”
Audio Version: Why It’s Important to Walk 4,000 Steps Per Day
-Henry David Thoreau
There are actually two reasons to walk; Because it’s the best way to live longer, healthier, and because it’s a wonderful thing to do.
let’s look first self healthy the gain.
In a 2020 study in JAMA [1], Dr. Pedro Saint-Maurice and colleagues recorded the daily steps of 4840 people between 2003 and 2006 using digital steppers and then followed them for 15–18 years. The authors focused mainly on people who walked between 8000 and 10,000 steps a day and lived longer than those who walked only 4,000 steps or less. But, walking 8-10 kms a day is not easy…and maybe not even necessary. Take a look at this graph I’ve redrawn from their data.
The death rate in those over the age of 50 was halved by walking 4,000 steps per day, compared to 2000 steps per day. Four thousand steps is about 3.2 km/day, depending on your pace, which comes out to a 30-45 minute walk. So much so, that in people over 50, the death rate was halved. And although in studies, the more you walked, the better you got when the issue is about walking versus not running, 4,000 steps is where the sweet spot is.
As I mentioned a month ago when I wrote about benefits of physical activity, just getting up off the couch and “walking” allows us to live longer and healthier by about 20% compared to people who don’t move. Two thousand steps per day is as good as “not moving”. At least 4,000 steps is a game-changer and requires a plan… to set aside time to go outdoors or in the garden or park… or even on the treadmill, but only if the weather really does. be bad
And while it’s great to use digital methods like Fitbits and Apple watches to track, you don’t need to stress out with gadgets. Walking briskly for just 30-45 minutes every day will add 4,000 steps.
And we don’t need much… a pair of comfortable shoes, suitable clothes and if any balance issue, maybe a walking stick. Even in Mumbai, where there are not enough gardens or forests to disappear, we can still find a quiet stretch of road or a large sidewalk to walk on.
If we have to choose one physical activity to do every day, it is walking.
I run, and for a long time, have thought less about runners… but the older I get, the more I appreciate the other benefits of running… aimlessness of direction and disconnection. Ability and allows the mind to wander free, as opposed to a complete meditation where you either want to focus or become thoughtless, depending on which side of the Zen debate you are on.
There are so many ways to walk, as opposed to running, which is… just running. You can walk fast, fast, slow… you can get up, calm down, walk mindfully, or take a Buddhist walk, speed up and down, shuffle, Can skip, keep changing pace, especially with a shorter or taller person… Walking provides variety and experimentation.
I pity those who listen to music or podcasts or who constantly make phone calls and try to catch up on messages while on the go (I used to be one of them). In a few weeks, I’ll talk about how important it is to reduce pollution, including digital noise. We have to take some time out in the day to completely shut down our calls, social media, WhatsApp, email etc and what better time to walk.
I know there are people who are afraid to be alone with their thoughts… these are the same people who can’t imagine a holiday without tagging at least 4-20 other people… but it’s not hard . Walking without digital crutches is liberating and allows the mind to fly and explore and appreciate the beauty around us based on where we are.
I would urge you to read Thoreau’s long essay on walking, which he wrote in The Atlantic in 1862. And then maybe how Ferris Jaber’s piece walking The New Yorker gets you thinking, because it doesn’t require much conscious effort from us. The act of walking, our attention is free to wander – to overlay the world before us with a parade of images from the theater of the mind.
In short, walk daily. Without phone and earphones. At least for 30-45 minutes. it will help you self healthy quest to increase your health span and lifespan, while allowing your mind to question, wander, and explore.
footnote
1. Saint-Maurice PF et al. Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity with Mortality Among US Adults. Jama. 2020 Mar 24;323(12):1151-1160.
Disclaimer
The views expressed above are those of the author.
end of article
,