HEALTH

Walking: The New Happy Hour for Health

By Celestina Blok

Illustrations by Amber Davis

For most, it’s a means of simply getting from point A to point B. Walking is like breathing, taken for granted unless the ability to do it is taken away. We walk to-and-fro without much thought, but perhaps we should put more thought into walking itself. Experts agree, walking is a wonder drug — no prescription needed.

Benefits are a boon to overall health and wellness. Walking can ease joint pain, strengthen muscles and bones, lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, tame a sweet tooth, and even reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. An American Cancer Society study found that women who walked seven or more hours per week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or less per week.

Maggie Krenek, a local family nurse practitioner with a specialty in obstetrics and gynecology, recommends walking to all her patients, especially during pregnancy.

“The health benefits include weight loss, endurance and stress reduction,” says Maggie, who’s also a fitness instructor and avid runner. “I highly recommend patients stay active at every phase of life and feel that walking specifically can benefit them physically and mentally.”

Maggie is no stranger to the rewards of exercise. She’s been running for 15 years and trains for half-marathons, making it a habit to run around 20 miles per week. Cardio is her therapy, she says, adding that she lives for the stress-relieving, energy-boosting endorphin rush that follows a tough workout. She also cranks out around three 30-minute, high-intensity internal training workouts a week, focusing on leg, arm and abdominal work while keeping her heart rate up.

While intense sweat sessions are her kryptonite, Maggie calls walking her “happy hour.”

“I love walking with friends or my dog as a healthy way to be social versus going to happy hour or dinner,” she says. “Walking or running outside is also a great way to get natural vitamin D production from the sun. Getting outdoors can help with stress and anxiety reduction.”

Because walking is low impact, it’s a means of intentional movement most folks can execute. But before embarking on a walking plan for exercise, Dr. Amanda Herring, a Fort Worth-based physical therapist with Concierge Physical Therapists, has a few tips.

“Be mindful of walking with a normalized gait. If you have a limp, fix the underlying issues to avoid compensations and other injuries along the kinetic chain,” she says. “Make sure to warm up and cool down. Wear appropriate shoes — make sure they fit and wear orthotics if needed. Also, stay hydrated.”

If new to walking for mindful exercise, Amanda recommends walking around the block for 10 minutes a day or every other day to start.

“Once you can do that for a week, build up to 20 to 30 minutes a day,” she says. “Ideally, a 45-minute walk a day is very beneficial for overall health maintenance.

While walking on a treadmill is far better than no movement at all, taking the steps outside drastically increases the benefit.

“Walking outside helps build our immune system and boosts our energy and mood, which in return helps us sleep better at night,” Amanda says.

Perhaps walking is indeed the new happy hour, a time that can be shared with friends for better health — and one that won’t result in a tab.