Remarkably, no matter how much we report on the benefits of walking for both physical and cognitive health, new research continues to be published that enhances and strengthens our understanding of the value of walking for healthier aging. Whether it’s reducing your mortality risk, maintaining your cardiovascular health, or lifting your mental health, there continues to be growing data to support the value of even short walks, or just 1-2 walks per week, to get the health benefits you need.

First, why do we continue to urge you to walk? Hasn’t everybody gotten the message by now? Apparently not, if you look at existing data. For example, compared to other developed countries, Americans are much less likely to consider walking to get themselves somewhere. There’s no doubt that in the United States, car culture continues to be strong and new data only confirms that. We have one of the lowest walking rates in the world, especially as compared to countries such as Finland, France, Germany, or the UK. It’s not completely the fault or laziness of Americans, however. In fact, because we don’t sufficiently devote outdoor space or emphasize safety to encourage walking as a way to get from one place to another, we are left with a high pedestrian injury and fatality rate. We just don’t do enough to encourage people to walk as a mode of transportation.

Moreover, data appears to reflect that the average adult American takes about 4800 steps per day, which, while providing a good start, does not rise to the level of providing the important health boost that can result from regular walking. What is the level needed for health benefits? While we’ve previously dispelled the myth that you must hit 10,000 steps a day in order to benefit your health, the value of walking comes as much from the energy you expend with each step as it does from the time or distance you travel. So, for example, given that as you age, you become a little less efficient with each step and therefore expend more energy with each step, you likely have to walk fewer steps for the available health benefits than you would have in your younger days. While experts may recommend that adults under 60 strive for 8,000-10,000 steps a day, those over 60 may be just fine (and still benefit their health) with 6,000-8,000 steps a day.

So what about that new research data? A few new studies are important to highlight. First comes a new study out of UCLA and Kyoto University looking at the health benefits of walking (briskly) a couple of days each week, rather than aspiring for a daily brisk walk. According to the research, taking 8,000 steps one or two days a week can still cut your risk of dying by almost 15% as compared to not walking at all. The researchers recommend that additional days per week of walking can cut that risk even further, but even those one or two walks per week, assuming they are brisk and long, can be sufficient to make a difference in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. As one researcher stated, “For people who have difficulties engaging in regular exercise, achieving recommended daily steps only a couple of days per week can have meaningful health benefits.” For more on this study, grab your pedometer and click here.

Continuing on the theme of the benefits of a brisk walk, another new research study from the University of Maryland published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports found that among older adults (those participating were 71-85) a brisk walking regimen of 30 minutes for 4 days a week appeared to strengthen brain networks and improve memory so that even participants with mild cognitive impairment showed significant memory improvement after 12 weeks. The researchers were confident enough to exclaim that, based on this walking study, “exercise may be a useful way to prevent or help stabilize people with mild cognitive impairment and maybe, over the long term, delay their conversion to Alzheimer’s dementia.” So lace up those new sneakers and read more here.

Finally, in case you need even more convincing, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association recognizes that especially for certain groups in society who may be at high risk for heart disease (older adults, those with disabilities or mental health challenges, or those with a lower socioeconomic status) there may be barriers to getting sufficient exercise each week to cut the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore it’s important to point out that even a 20-minute energetic daily walk can address existing heart health disparities and help less active people maintain their cardiovascular health. So even if you lack time or place, if you can just squeeze in a 20-minute quick walk, you’d be doing yourself, and your body, a favor. For more on this new scientific statement, read here. And need some guidance on how to get started? Take a look at the advice from 88-year-old champion walker Dr. Alan Poisner here.