Why Walking Isn’t Enough
Put simply, walking is just not that demanding on the body.
A lot of my older clients come to me for their mobility issues and I often hear “I just don’t get it, I’ve been walking regularly for weeks/months/years, just as the doctor ordered!”
Off the back of the 10,000 steps a day trend and headlines from governmental health boards advising “X minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise for people above 45”, walking has turned into a key benchmark for people’s physical health.
So why do people who walk a lot still end up with pain?
Put simply, walking is just not that demanding on the body.
Yes, it can be good for your cardio if you increase the duration and speed, but if this is the main/only form of exercise you get, forget sports - it’s not nearly enough to prepare the body for even the demands of daily life.
WHAT ELSE THE BODY NEEDS
Movement is the body’s language and as with any language, you use it or you lose it.
Some of the ‘grammar’ that is prevalent in nearly all movement are things like:
ability to resist force
folding of the limbs
twisting of the spine
rotation of the joints
There are ways to include exposure to some of these during walking but unless you are being intentional about it, you might be missing a few.
Thinking walking will help with those movements is a bit like saying “I memorised the alphabet but can’t write a screenplay!”
Most people avoid such movements because they think they might injure themselves, or do more harm than good.
I've helped 50 year olds with knee pains get back onto basketball courts with their sons, and even soccer fields - LITERALLY kicking goals again, and we certainly didn't get there by just walking!
Even if you aren’t wanting to play any sports, getting up from off the ground or off the toilet seat has a different demand on the body that changes as we age.
Thinking walking will help with those movements is a bit like saying “I memorised the alphabet but can’t write a screenplay!”
I get it - training can be scary especially as risk of injury increases and the stakes are higher, but you can always seek a professional coach for structure & guidance.
It IS however, a certainty that the body won’t get stronger on its own.
It needs you as much as you need it.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
If you are intentional about how you walk, you can start to focus on:
ability to resist force:
include STAIRS in your walks
folding of the limbs:
the steeper the stairs, the more the fold
twisting of the spine:
see if you can find a rhythm to rotate your spine while you walk
rotation of the joints:
take steps in different directions - trail walking is particularly good for this!
The above are some ideas to add to your walks, and you can apply similar principles to your upper body as well.
(If you’re looking for some ideas, I have a video series on this which you can watch on youtube here)
CONCLUSION
Walking is great but only covers a limited amount of the human capacity to move.
By looking at human movement as a language - our body language, I hope it empowers you to explore ‘phrases’ and ‘vocabulary’ so you can express more of who you really are as your body changes with you, and your life demands.
Love,
Always💗
Hi, I am Ben.
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
I help people live freer & more powerful lives by dissolving chronic pain of the mind, body & spirit.
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I post practical tools and inspirational reflections drawn from lives of real people, nature’s wisdom, and the wonderful world of art.
