Not just your Gramma's workout anymore

If your grandmother is anything like mine, she must be an avid walker. And Grammy is 87, so I'd say she's doing something right. What are her secrets to a long life well-lived? Flossing, moderation, the perfect lipstick, and walking. But Grammy's not the only one who recognizes the value of a nice, long brisk walk. If you travel to New York or Paris, you will see only the leanest people strutting around, cappuccinos in hand. Even a college campus sports mostly lean people. And that can't be totally attributed to youth because as we all know, college students don't lead the healthiest lifestyles. Hmm... what could the correlation possibly be? 

I'm going to speculate that it might be walking. Remember the American Medical Association's oft forgotten advice of taking 10,000 steps a day? Many people still actively ensure that they reach their goals through the purchase of a pedometer. But, if you know that 10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles, you might be able to do the math yourself. Regardless of how you get those steps in, rest assured that your mind and body will thank you.

Once upon a time I was an avid runner, a slave to the "chronic cardio." In part, this was because my dad (and once upon a time, my mom) always had been a runner and I found that once I got over "the hill," running was a great way for us to bond and just chat about whatever. Plus, the endorphins are pretty nice too, maybe even a little too nice. Somewhere along the way I became addicted to those endorphins and only running could give me that next high. 

I'm telling you this because I learned that running was really not the best thing I could be doing for my body. I still argue that it was beneficial to my mind and stress levels, but I now know that walking is a much healthier, easier (no shower needed after!), and more calming way to get my daily dose of nature (vitamin D!) while burning fat and chatting with someone I love. Running can be extremely taxing on your adrenals and hormones, but walking can actually be great for people suffering from adrenal fatigue and/or hormonal imbalances. Plus, anyone can start a walking regimen, regardless of your fitness level.

Another reason that walking is superior to running and other forms of chronic cardio is that it simply is more natural for our bodies... people have been walking since people have existed. If you think our ancestors were running to get from place to place, think again. Their movement consisted of lots of low-level walking with the occasional sprints to kill and acquire food or escape danger. It simply makes evolutionary sense to walk and sprint rather than jog/run for exercise. It will ensure the optimal expression of our genes, which is really what we should all be after anyways, right?

And let's not forget all our Grammas out there walking it out everyday. In fact, if you ask an elderly person what their secret is to living pain-free with loads of vitality well into their 80s and 90s, you might be surprised to hear them say that they didn't exercise at all. At least, not in a conventional, let's-go-to-the-gym sense. They did lots of walking, gardening, perhaps biking, hiking or maybe even some yoga. But rarely will you hear them say they hit the gym five days a week. Food for thought.