Walking and Aging
August 11th, 2007 by YzabelI’ve been thinking about all of this for quite some time. I can’t deny that I am trying to lose weight, but I am also focused on living a healthier life as a whole, whether in terms of foods or of exercising, and more and more, I’ve tried to research how all of this could influence not only my present self, but my future, older self as well.
We cannot know how we’ll be twenty, thirty, fourty years from now on. However, one thing I know is that I don’t want to be 60 and already needing a walking stick if I can avoid it. I can’t control the potential broken bones and other accidents I might get into in years to come; I can control my general level of fitness, and the kind of exercise and eating that are mine to prepare my old age, and preserve my ‘health capital’ as much as possible. And that’s why I’ve been paying more attention to an activity that everyone, save in the case of very heavy health problems, can probably perform from the moment they’re able to stand up all by themselves until they get really old: walking.
Walking is the most basic physical activity for a human being. We learn to walk at about 1.5 years old, and even earlier for some babies. Our feet and legs can carry us almost everywhere. We have actually been designed by evolution to walk all day long if needed. If for a reason we find ourselves unable to walk, we suddenly realize how painful it is, how frustrating. And the benefits of walking can be felt at every age, in every period of our life.
It helps strengthening your muscles and improving your balance and flexibility. It will make your blood circulation better. And if you walk often enough, and at fast enough a pace, more muscle mass in your lower body will also mean less strain on your bones and joints, as well as less lower-back problems (myself, I’ve never had as little problems in that area as since I’ve started to use my legs more). Not to mention that a better balance and more lean mass will prevent you from easily falling and fracturing a limb.
Of course, other types of exercise–swimming, biking, and more generally, an active lifestyle–will be just as good. But think about it. Walking is the very basics, it’s cheap, it’s convenient, and you don’t need much material to do it, except a pair of decent enough shoes. So please don’t keep it out of your mind, and think about the benefits it will bring you now and in the future. You may very well be suffering from arthritis, for instance, like many people in your old age; but keeping on moving (which is what every doctor will tell you to do in that case anyway!) will help you delay more important sufferings. And it is always good, for your morale and your quality of life, to be able to move (almost) freely as long as possible.
