Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise. It is a low-impact relatively accessible activity that is free providing powerful health benefits.
The facts on walking below reveal that this gentle form of exercise helps to maintain our overall wellbeing. Taking a daily brisk walk contributes to better mental health by reducing stress and boosting mood-enhancing endorphins. It also helps to lower blood pressure, increase energy levels, and help to prevent lifestyle diseases.
10 facts on walking
- 1The average adult will walk 65,000 in their lifetime which is the equivalent of walking 3 times around the world! Walking is a great way to improve your heart health, build stamina, burn calories, and is a form of aerobic activity!
- 2It requires 200 muscles just to take one step. This is why walking is considered a full-body exercise. It is not just your arms and legs that are responsible for the forward motion, your core is hard at work too!
- 3The average healthy adult walks at a speed of around 3mph. The age of a person will affect how fast they walk, and the speed of walking decreases with age. A brisk walk is typically 3.5mph and can help you to build stamina, burn excess calories and increase your heart health!
- 4The longest walk around the world was completed by Jean Beliveau, a neon-sign salesman, who walked 46,600 miles around 64 countries. The trip took him 11 years. Many people focus on strength or speed but underestimate the fitness factor of stamina. Good stamina is not just about physical strength and endurance but also about being efficient mentally. Having good mental stamina helps to overcome stress and improves your focus.
- 5About 18% of the world suffers from somnambulism. In other words, sleepwalking. This involves getting up and walking around whilst asleep! It is more common in children than adults and is usually outgrown by the time children become teenagers. Sleepwalking can be triggered by infection, anxiety, stress, lack of sleep and medication/drugs.
- 6Walking briskly for one mile in 15 minutes burns approximately the same amount of calories as jogging an equal distance in 8.5 minutes. Walking is an excellent exercise choice that doesn’t cost anything and can help with weight loss and improve cardiovascular health.
- 7A study following 4,840 men and women 40 years of age and older for about 10 years found that those taking at least 8,000 steps daily had a 51% lower death rate from all causes compared with those taking 4,000 steps or fewer. Medical professionals recommend walking to increase better health, particularly for inactive people. A goal of 10,000 steps a day has become widely known but recent studies have shown that health benefits increase even if fewer steps are taken each day.
- 8Spending time in nature has been found to help with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Research into ecotherapy (a type of formal treatment that involves doing activities outside in nature) has shown it can help with mild to moderate depression.
- 9The greatest distance traveled with a football balanced on the head is 49.17 km (30.5 miles). This was achieved by Manoj Mishra (India), in West Bengal, India, on 1 January 2016. It took Manoj over eleven hours to complete this record. Working on our balance challenges the whole body and strengthens muscle groups that quite often don’t get a good workout! Good balance leads to improved posture, with a decreased risk of arthritis and less back pain.
- 10To understand roughly how fast you walk, count the number of steps you take in a minute and divide by 30. Your walking speed depends on your level of fitness and walking experience. Other factors that may affect your overall speed are difficult terrain and walking uphill and downhill.
An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day - Henry David Thoreau
Make walking a habit
We hope our fun facts on walking will help to motivate you to build more steps into your daily routine. Try increasing your steps, here’s some tips on how easy it is to do it!
So, the next time you head out...
Remember these fun facts on walking as going by foot in instead of the train or bus, will help you to become a healthier you! whether you're heading to work or simply heading off to enjoy your local park, embrace the joy of walking and reap the many benefits it offers.
Workplace Wellbeing
Narrow the search for your next wellbeing initiative and discover the Wellbeing People approach to workplace wellbeing.
Further reading and research
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepwalking
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/running-and-aerobic-exercises/walking-for-health/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/number-steps-day-more-important-step-intensity
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-many-steps-better-health
You may also be interested in...