As we finally get ourselves out of winter and into more inviting, warmer weather, going outside for a walk should become a more pleasurable experience. By now it’s hopefully become your mantra that a daily walk is an essential- and easy- way to fulfill recommended fitness requirements and put you on a path toward healthier physical and cognitive aging. And if you can even slightly enhance the challenge of your daily walk- maybe add some light weights or a slight incline- all the better for your longevity and calorie counting. There’s even some recent research that supports striding in a bit of a more silly and exaggerated way (something akin to the old Monty Python “Silly Walk” skit) to increase your energy expenditure while you walk (not to mention the attention you’ll draw!). 

But if you’ve taken to walking for any extended period of time, you likely know another secret: The value of a walk lies not only in the physical exertion you put out but it also can afford you an opportunity to clear and focus your mind, interrupt a troublesome thought process or even learn a new skill. In fact, on your next stroll, you may want to take in a useful podcast on the value of walking for your mental health. There have been several recent articles by noted authors about the mental balm and creative energy that can come from a pleasurable walk. For example, author and actor Andrew McCarthy recently penned a New York Times essay titled Whatever The Problem, It’s Probably Solved By Walking. Having completed a 500-mile walk with his teenage son in Spain before his child departed for college, McCarthy has a new book coming out describing the profound experience of this trek that was “not a means to an end but an event itself.” Similarly, writing in the Wall Street Journal (The Joys Of A Walking Trip), author Neil King Jr. is also about to come out with a book about his transcendent experiences from walking, entitled American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal. The book details the amazing experience he had walking 330 miles from Washington DC to New York City, and the memorable people, places, and experiences he encountered along the way. His advice? “If just once in your life…Take a long journey on foot.” He also provides a list of 5 life-altering extended walks in Japan, the US, and Europe. And if you do plan a long journey, you may want to take a look at this list of the best walking shoes for older adults, according to podiatrists.

But one word of caution for older walkers. For those of us who hope to multitask while we walk- perhaps listen to an audiobook, try learning a new language or skill, or just take in an interesting podcast- that may not always be wise- or easy. New research published in The Lancet Health Longevity reports that as we get older, our brain’s ability to “dual task,” i.e., walk and perform another brain function (like taking on a math problem) may diminish and even set us up for unsteadiness, leading to a risk of falling. While some individuals can perform both tasks well into their later years, others may have more trouble, indicating a potential brain function problem and accelerated brain aging, leading to a greater risk of dementia going forward. While it’s not inevitable that you will lose this dual-function capacity, it is something to be aware of. For more on this study, stop walking and look here.