How walking can improve your health and longevity

Q: I am an older woman and belong to a small walking group that meets several mornings a week. I love the camaraderie, fresh air and exercise. Several of my friends who don’t exercise very much are less than enthusiastic about joining us. Any suggestions how I can convince them? Many thanks. P.D

You are on an important mission with a challenge. We know we cannot make people do what they don’t want to do. We also know that people including older adults do change. So, let’s take the “change” approach.

Consider asking your friends to take the follow true-false quiz. Maybe the facts will become self-evident. 

1. Walking 10,000 steps a day is necessary to get the full benefits of walking. False. According to the BBC, that magic number dates to a marketing campaign at the beginning of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games for a pedometer called Manpo-kei, whose name roughly translated to the “10,000 steps meter.” That number seems to have stuck. 

2. Walking can increase the length of time you will live. True. A Harvard School of Public Health Study found that older women who walked at least 4,400 steps each day lived longer than those who walked less. Another study led by the American Cancer Society found that even low levels of walking decreased the risk of dying. In addition to enhancing longevity, walking activates the lymphatic system, eliminates toxins, fights infection and strengthens immunity. 

3. The benefits of walking decrease as you get older. False. A study of those ages 85 and older found that walking at least one hour a week could reduce cardiovascular mortality and all causes of death. This walking group had a lower risk compared to their peers who were physically inactive. Additionally, older adults were found to need fewer steps to experience positive health outcomes and lowered mortality risk as many have mobility problems or other barriers to exercise. 

4. The more steps you take, the better. True. In a study of just under a quarter million adults studied for seven years; researchers found that each increase of 1,000 steps was associated with a lower chance (22 percent) of dying from all causes. Each 500-step increment was linked to a seven-percent drop in cardiovascular-related deaths. 

5. Walking helps creative thinking. True. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is said to have written, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Studies indicate walking increases creative ideation. That’s the creative process of generating, developing and communicating new ideas. Walking outside compared to walking on a treadmill created the most novel and highest quality of creative thinking.

6. Walking with peers is more beneficial than walking alone. True. This is based on the concept of “moai” walking groups from the Blue Zone Project in Okinawa, Japan. It means “meeting for a common purpose.” In a  2020 study  published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, researchers compared walking alone and walking with peers. The walking with peers group improved more in motivation, functional capacity, body fat, physical activity than the walking alone group. An added benefit is having social connections. 

7. For those aged 65 and older, there is an ideal number of minutes to walk daily to receive health and other benefits. True. The Center for Disease Control recommends adults 65 and older engage in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity of aerobic activity which is equivalent to brisk walking. That could be walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity such as running or jogging. Of course, you also could get aerobic activity from mowing the lawn, hiking a trail, riding a bike or from water aerobics, to name a few. 

Walking is easy. It does not require any equipment, only good walking shoes. No need to join a fitness club, make reservations at the tennis or pickleball court or pay a fee. The quote from Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Engineering at the University of Southern California from the Free Blue Zone Newsletter is a good reminder: “Our bodies were designed to move.” So, let’s keep walking and moving. 

Thank you P.D. for your good question. I hope this short quiz will change some minds. Recommend starting with just 10 minutes a day before walking with your group. Then suggest they increase the time incrementally.

Another thought — suggest having a cup of coffee after the walk. Stay well and spread the gift of kindness. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity