The Miracle of Walking: Walk Correctly to Extend Your Life

Walking is another exercise option that is easy, convenient, and low-cost, suitable for all ages and genders. Proper and consistent walking takes only a few minutes but can strengthen our health in the long term, helping various systems in the body function better than ever, which can be quite surprising.

Good Reasons to Walk for Exercise

• Helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and strengthens muscles, tendons, and joints

Regular hygienic walking can increase bone density in postmenopausal women because it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and slows bone mass loss. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that stimulates bones to produce more cells. Observe that people who lie down or sit all day experience bone mass loss and muscle atrophy. Walking for just 30 minutes a day helps strengthen bones and reduce the risk and impact of osteoporosis. It also strengthens the muscles and tendons of the thighs, knees, calves, and ankles, helping to tone the abdomen and hips.

People with severe osteoporosis or a history of fractures should avoid exercises that may pose risks. They should consult a doctor for treatment at the root cause first and choose the most appropriate exercise activities. For those with knee or ankle pain, water walking is another suitable option as it reduces pressure on the joints, and the water resistance helps strengthen muscles and tendons around the joints.

• Helps reduce the risk of various serious diseases

Research on women’s health at Harvard University found that walking continuously for 3-5 hours per week reduces the risk of breast and uterine cancer by over 54% and reduces the risk of colon cancer by 20%. Additionally, walking can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 60%. A study by the University of Colorado found that walking just 10-15 minutes a day improves diabetes symptoms and helps insulin work better, allowing the body to use sugar more effectively, meaning better diabetes control. Furthermore, brisk walking for 21 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week, or 2.5 hours per week, can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease by up to 31%. Hence, there is a saying that walking 1 minute can extend life by 12 minutes.

• Slows down memory loss

Experiments show that people who walk while thinking can come up with 60% more good ideas than those who sit still. Studies also found that exercising by walking for 40 minutes, 3 days a week, can increase the size of brain areas linked to planning and memory. It also improves blood circulation to the brain. Walking in the elderly helps reduce brain shrinkage risk and preserves memory for many years, slowing brain degeneration in older adults.

• Walking releases happiness hormones

Exercise through continuous brisk walking stimulates the brain to release endorphins, the happiness hormones, which are natural chemicals that relieve pain and make the mind feel comfortable, refreshed, and happy. It reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, and helps improve sleep quality.

• Boosts immunity

Appalachian State University found that walking continuously for 30-45 minutes a day can increase the number of immune system cells in the body.

• • Walking stimulates stomach and intestines to move, improving digestion and bowel movements.
  • Walking for weight loss also helps achieve a well-proportioned and good figure.

For those who are overweight, walking can help reduce body weight. Walking about 1 hour a day increases the body’s energy metabolism. Walking at a speed of 3 km/h continuously for 30 minutes burns about 75 calories. Increasing the speed to 4-5 km/h burns about 99 calories, and walking faster at 6 km/h can burn up to 150 calories. Observe that Japanese people are healthy and not overweight because they are trained to walk diligently from childhood. 100 steps walked equal 1 minute of weightlifting; 150 steps equal 1 minute of swimming or cycling.

Proper Walking Exercise Hygiene

• Walk with relaxed shoulders, not hunched or overly bent, and look straight ahead about 5-6 meters.
• Step down with the heel first, then place the whole foot down, press the toes, and lift the heel to transfer weight to the front of the foot. The toes help push the next step in balance.
• Step length should be shorter than the arm span by about one palm width, not too long or too short.
• To strengthen the body, walking should be continuous for about 30 minutes or more. Stop-and-go walking may not train the cardiovascular system effectively. Exercise frequency should be at least 3-5 times per week and done consistently.

Tips for Effective and Injury-Free Walking

• Assess your body before walking

Those who have never exercised before should check for any underlying diseases, medications, or special care history and carry this information with them. Start walking with small amounts, such as 5 minutes, then observe if the body can handle it before gradually increasing the time. Do not overexert yourself as it may cause harm.

• Choose appropriate exercise clothes and shoes

Wear flexible, sweat-wicking clothes. Shoes should be exercise shoes that prevent slipping or falling, do not squeeze the toes, are lightweight, support the ankles well, and have shock-absorbing soles to distribute weight and provide propulsion, delaying fatigue. They help prevent injuries to the plantar fascia, ankles, knees, or legs, making walking comfortable and sustainable.

• Don’t forget to warm up and cool down before and after walking

Before walking for exercise, warm up lightly by stretching muscles and joints to prepare the body’s systems such as circulation, respiration, muscles, and joints. Before stopping, gradually reduce intensity to cool down and stretch lightly to reduce muscle inflammation or cramps. This also helps adjust heart and lung function to a relaxed state after exercise, which is especially important for the elderly to prevent sudden stops in muscle, joint, heart, and vascular systems.

• Swing your arms to increase propulsion and improve lymphatic system function

Gentle arm swinging creates momentum that helps propel the body forward, improving balance and walking agility. Traditional Chinese medicine, used for thousands of years, believes that the armpits and groin are points where blood vessels, nerves, and lymph nodes converge from the brain to various organs. The lymphatic system has no pump like the heart in the blood system, so arm swinging during walking stimulates lymph flow at joints, helping to drain and expel waste. Swing arms forward and backward in rhythm with steps but avoid swinging too hard to prevent shoulder tendon inflammation.

• Walking up stairs or slopes

Choosing to walk on inclined surfaces, slopes, or stairs stimulates the brain, heart, lungs, and muscles more, burning 2-3 times more energy than brisk walking on flat ground. Some may say housework is enough exercise, but if it does not continuously increase cardiovascular activity, it is not considered sufficient to fully strengthen the body. However, housework is still a good physical activity, better than no activity at all. For those with no time to exercise, try to walk as much as possible during the day, such as walking instead of riding a vehicle or taking stairs instead of the elevator, to help the body resist gravity and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in the future.

Now that you know the techniques, tips, and benefits of walking, which are numerous, find time to walk more each day to improve your health, vitality, and strength.

Dr. Thanawut Lertakerdtham

Muscle, Bone, and Joint Center

Phyathai 3 Hospital