We live in a world of impossible bodies and relentless pressure to look superhuman. When many people start their fitness journey, their end goal inevitably settles around a perfectly sculpted ideal that can be as unhealthy as it is unattainable.
Along the way, we've lost sight of many of the most restorative pillars of fitness. Consider, for instance, walking. Taking a half hour stroll after work every evening won't get you rock-hard abs. It won't mould your biceps into something worthy of any instagram hashtags. But a daily long walk will do something more profound, it will increase your physical and mental health.
We loved seeing this tweet from strength and conditioning coach and all-around fitness mensch Tony Gentilcore, who yesterday did a volte face on the subtle gains linked to walking.
I used to think it was cool (and I was doing the industry a favor) being an uppity coach who said stuff like "walking is life, stop saying it's exercise."
That was dumb.
It IS exercise, and undervalued.
Not all exercise has to be a ball-buster.
Walking = recovery. Do more.— Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore1) June 18, 2019
The fitness world seems to be returning to the notion that all physical activity is valuable, and walking has much to offer people. For many people desperate to shake off years of sedentary idleness, walking is literally the first step to fitness. For those who are training intensively, a long walk after, say, leg day, can be the perfect way to recover. The internet is full of articles on the hidden benefits of walking - it is "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug" according to Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This article from Harvard suggests that walking can, among other things, counteract weight-promoting genes, tame the sweet tooth, reduce the risk of breast cancer, ease joint pain and boost immune function.
All of which are good things.
Some of the replies to Gentilcore's tweet provided further evidence of the power of walking.
I was inspired to create my #Project365 this year. 30 minutes of walking every single day no matter the weather. I'm 169 days in & love how I can make my walk whatever I need. Recovery after leg day, meditation after a tough day. Plus I log it all on @Strava just for fun!
— Catherine Marion (@_CatMarion) June 18, 2019
All movement matters. All of it. Those 10,000 steps you aim for every day go long way towards sustaining your overall health so don't underestimate them.
