The summer heat and humidity may not be the best motivators to get you active outside. Yet so many of us are exhausted and cranky from too much time spent indoors and without social connection due to the coronavirus. And while we can’t advocate that you once again take up with large groups in social gatherings, we can present you with new and powerful evidence that just taking a walk outside, even at a leisurely pace, can have significant value for your health and well-being.

From a broad perspective, the evolutionary benefits of walking for both brain and body are described in detail in the recently published book, In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration by Dr. Shane O’Mara. As Dr. O’Mara writes, walking can provide profound preventive help in warding off such mental health concerns as depression and can stimulate “mind wandering” which allows you to think creatively and freely. In fact, he suggests you bring along a notebook or voice recorder when you’re out walking, as you may likely come to an “aha” moment without consciously pursuing it. And for those of you worried about frailty as you age? O’Mara notes that even 3-4 days of inactivity can lead to fat replacing your muscles. The remedy? A good walk out and about. To find out more, pull out your walking stick and read here, and to catch a review of his new book, click here.

New research published in JAMA also bolsters the benefits of walking even if you don’t reach 10,000 steps a day. As reported by the NIH, this research found that if those who walk only 4,000 steps a day (considered low activity individuals) increased their walking to 8000 steps a day, they could significantly reduce their risk of dying over the next decade due to any cause, but especially cardiac disease. Further, the research suggests that it’s not the pace of your walking that counts but rather the number of steps you take. If you want to learn more about additional health benefits from walking, lace up your walking shoes and read here. And for those of you who want to push the boundaries a bit and up your walking “game,” grab your water bottle and find out how to ramp up your walking here.

Finally, for many, a daily walk is the pleasure that ends your day- you finish dinner and you’re out the door for a nightly stroll. Turns out there’s a lot of benefit to walking after a meal (and little downside). So, leave the dinner dishes in the sink and set out for your stroll by first clicking here.