Karen Swearingen

Whether on a beach in Hawaii or on an indoor track in Texas, walking is a key part of David and Karen Swearingen’s healthy retirement lifestyle.

“It helps us keep our weight down and it’s great for our marriage. We talk about anything and everything while we’re out walking,” said David, 71, a retired vice president with Johnson & Johnson.

Walking is one of the most popular exercise and recreational pursuits for senior adults, and as David and Karen have learned, it comes with many benefits.

“I just had my most recent annual physical and had my best numbers ever,” David said.

“I quit taking my cholesterol medication after I started walking. I didn’t need it anymore,” said Karen, a retired travel consultant.

According to numerous studies, the health benefits David and Karen have found from walking are not unusual. Walking on a regular basis is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health, but the health benefits go much further. Walking is credited with improving one’s health in many ways, including the following:

Health benefits of walking

  • Heart: Aerobic activity like walking strengthens the heart and cardiovascular health
  • Diabetes and weight control: Keeping active keeps weight down and helps control blood-sugar levels
  • Cancer: Walking has been shown to reduce risks of several types of cancer including colon and breast cancers
  • Blood pressure and bad cholesterol: Walking is documented to lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol, possible reducing or even eliminating your need for medications
  • Back pain: Walking is well documented to help reduce back pain and is often recommended by physicians and chiropractors
  • Bone density: Walking increases stress on bones, which strengthens bone density
  • Arthritis: Walking reduces arthritic pain by strengthening muscles and lubricating joints
  • Mobility and falls: Regular walkers are less likely to experience falls and mobility disabilities
  • Mental sharpness and dementia: Walking improves brain function, reduces stress and can even help people cope who are already suffering from dementia
  • Add years to your life: Studies have shown that walking can add years to your life. In a 2015 study at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, researchers found that walking 25 minutes a day added up to seven years to participants’ lifespans.

Judy, who spends winters in a 55+ community in Florida and the rest of the year in Wisconsin, confirms that walking makes her feel better.

“Walking gets your blood pressure moving and gets your metabolism up,” said Judy, who said she started walking more than 30 years ago so she wouldn’t gain weight after stopping smoking.

 Starting the Walking Habit

It’s never too late to start exercising, but don’t be discouraged if you cannot walk very far at first. Most new walkers have to start with short walks and gradually build up.

“I’d walk around the block and thought I was going to die,” said Judy, recounting when she began walking. “Then I walked a little further. When I first walked a mile, I thought they were going to have to send the rescue squad after me.”

Judy now walks three miles a day, year-round. Dave and Karen walk about the same distance, but due to allergies and harsher weather walk primarily indoors when at home in Abilene, Texas. They spend several weeks each year in Hawaii, where they opt for outdoor venues like walking trails, golf courses and the beach.

The American Heart Association recommends that people strive for at least 150 minutes of walking or other moderate exercise each week. That equates to a 30 minute walk, five days a week. The more you walk, the greater the benefit, but even taking two 15-minute walks per day is acceptable if you cannot walk 30 minutes at a time.

Sadly, most seniors do not achieve this recommended level of daily exercise. According to The Cooper Institute, only about one-third of adults ages 65 and over walk or exercise for 150 or more minutes per week. In addition to the negative impacts on health, those who do not exercise bear a greater financial burden from increased health care and long-term care costs.

Fortunately, even a modest amount of walking has positive health benefits. A study by the American Cancer Society found that participants who walked less than two hours per week, well below the recommended standard, still improved their longevity versus participants who did not exercise at all.

 

                                                                                  Carl and Norma Stigdon

“The real key is to stay active,” said Carl Stigdon who along with his wife Norma walk 2 1/2 miles a day, five days a week. “It’s awfully easy to stay in the easy chair and read or book or watch television, but we’ve been active most of our lives.”

Carl, 79, and Norma, 80, live in a 55+ community in Grand Island, Florida, and have been walking since they moved there in 2001. Both are motivated in part by health concerns, to maintain a good weight and keep blood pressure down. Norma says she enjoys both the physical and social aspects of walking.

“I’ve always liked to walk,” Norma said. “Some people walk because they have to, but I do because I like to … I feel caged in when I can’t walk.”

Her husband walks regularly too but isn’t as enthusiastic about doing so.

“I do it because she makes me,” Carl said with a smile.

Walking is great for seniors because it is low impact, easy, inexpensive, and requires no special equipment. If you’re not in the walking habit, it’s time to get moving!

Ready to start walking?

Here are nine helpful suggestions.

  1. Footwear: It’s important to wear good shoes that fit well, provide arch support, and are breathable. Don’t walk in flat footwear like sandals. Look for shoes designed for walking. For more information on how to buy the best walking shoes, see this report from the AARP.
  2. Stretch: Before taking a serious walk, it is best to spend a few minutes in stretching exercises. 
  3. Hydrate: Drink plenty of water, including before you start walking and during the walk.
  4. Monitor: Chart your walking progress with a cellphone (or smart watch) app. Look in your phone or watch’s app store for choices, but these are among the more popular: MapMyWalk (Under Armour), Walkmeter, Fitbit App Mobile Tracker, Runkeeper by Nike, Steps, SilverSneakers Go, and Endomondo.
  5. Get social: Don’t like to walk alone? Need the motivation of a group? Find a walking buddy or join a walking group or club. Many larger neighborhoods, especially 55+ communities, have walking clubs. 
  6. Beat the weather: If you live in an area where harsh weather (or crime or traffic) keeps you from walking outdoors, then look for indoor options such as senior centers, shopping malls, schools or other facilities with indoor tracks. You can also use a treadmill.
  7. Enjoy nature: Many communities have built miles of walking trails in recent years, so get out and walk on paths designed for walkers. These trails are often in parks, around lakes or other scenic settings. Just watch for bicycles, which often share the same paths with walkers.
  8. Music and reading: If walking alone, consider taking your smartphone and a headset and enjoy your favorite music. If it’s more your style, try listening to podcasts and audio books.
  9. Walk for a purpose: Challenge yourself by signing up for a 5k or longer charity walk. 

Tell us your walking story. Please take a minute and add your comment below. Your story or helpful tips may encourage someone else to start the walking habit. Thank you.

See related story: How To Select a Senior-Friendly Bicycle

Copyright 2019 by This Retirement Life. All rights reserved.

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