Looking to positively enhance your health without any equipment? Look down and lace up!

Movement is medicine and the benefits are endless — including a life lived healthier and happier for longer, with less pain and a lower risk of chronic disease.

Walking is an often overlooked and widely accessible form of exercise that has been proven to supercharge both brain and body. In addition to physical benefits like enhanced cardiovascular health, weight management, improved bone density and improved immunity, walking also lowers cortisol, reduces anxiety, improves sleep and enhances focus, mood, creativity and cognitive function. Who wouldn’t want to reap those benefits?

Adding walking to your weekly routine doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated. Start where you are! Aim to get outside in nature (an added mental health bonus), walk for 5-10 minutes daily and build from there. Rather than stressing about the number of steps taken or mileage covered, take note of how you feel both physically and mentally during and after the walk. Reflecting on these positive effects can help you reinforce the value of your walk and encourage you to stick to the habit. Once the habit is established, you can challenge yourself by:

  • Walking multiple times per day — try it for 10 minutes after meals
  • Enhancing walking speed — make it brisk
  • Increasing your total steps per day — aim for more than 7,000 daily to lower all-cause mortality
  • Choosing a more difficult route with varied terrain or hills
  • Adding a weighted rucksack to increase difficulty — start with no more than 10% of your body weight
  • Working up to 150 total minutes of moderate intensity walking per week

Walking is a foundational habit that supports long-term health, energy and overall well-being. Every step forward counts when it comes to your health!

Need additional motivation to get started? Join USLI’s Slainte Fitness team this October for our Walktober Challenge and jumpstart your journey to more movement and better health. The challenge will run from Monday, October 6 to Friday, October 31.