Transcription
Hi everyone, Dr. Seil D., Internal Medicine physician. Welcome to another video. Walking is extremely important, especially as one gets older, and I can't tell you the number of times I see somebody over the age of 65 or 70 who starts to walk less and less. They become more and more immobile, and then it is a significant decline from there as they get out of the habit of walking regularly, which they probably did a lot more during their working life. During their careers, they retire and then become more immobile. This is such a bad idea.
Now, I am a big exercise person myself. I would rather people were doing more exercise than simply walking. I would prefer they were doing cardio and regular muscle strengthening. I myself am a certified personal trainer, as well as being a doctor. I'm a personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, so for me, doing even more exercise would be ideal for anybody. But if not, at least walk regularly. It is so important, particularly with each passing year, and this is backed up with considerable scientific evidence.
One of my heroes, Thomas Jefferson, once said, "Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far." That is a fantastic quote right there. Another quote from Thomas Jefferson is, "The Europeans value themselves on having subdued the horse to the uses of man, but I doubt whether we have not lost more than we have gained by the use of this animal. No one has occasioned so much the degeneracy of the human body. An Indian—he's obviously talking about Native American Indians, not my type of Indian—goes on foot nearly as far in a day for a long journey as an enfeebled white does on his horse, and he will tire the best horses. There is no habit you will value so much as that of walking far without fatigue." That is another great quote from the great Thomas Jefferson.
I believe there's another famous quote out there as well: you will very rarely see anybody who walks regularly who is not healthy. The two go hand in hand; people who walk a lot are almost always healthy. So what are some studies that back up what I am saying? I want to share some of these with you here to really emphasize how important this is: walk, walk, walk as much as possible.
So, number one, let's look at a study specifically in older adults looking at their physical health. Here we have it published in JAMA: "Association of Step Volume and Intensity with All-Cause Mortality in Older Women." I'll go straight to their conclusions: among older women, as few as approximately 4,400 steps a day were significantly related to lower mortality rates compared with approximately 2,700 steps a day. With more steps per day, mortality rates progressively decreased before leveling at approximately 7,500 steps a day.
Number two: how about mental health? We don't think about this nearly enough. I actually believe that a walk in nature is one of the best natural anti-depressants out there and also a natural energy boost. Here we have a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry: "Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies." This was a very powerful study, and they found that available evidence supports the notion that physical activity can confer protection against the emergence of depression, regardless of age and geographical region.
Number three: cognitive function. This is a concern for many older adults. Will walking a lot help with your cognitive abilities? Well, here's a study right here: "Physical Activity, Brain Volume, and Dementia Risk: The Framingham Study." They were looking at the very famous Framingham study, and their conclusion was that low physical activity is associated with a higher risk for dementia in older individuals, suggesting that a reduced risk of dementia and higher brain volumes may be additional health benefits of maintaining physical activity into old age. Of course, a good brisk walk is moderate-intensity physical activity.
Some of you may be asking, looking at those studies, is it the chicken or the egg situation? Are people who are unhealthy becoming more immobile, or are people who are walking becoming more healthy? Of course, that's always going to be a question, but there is definitely something to this: the more you walk, the more you will maintain your physical strength for as long as you can into old age. It could be a walk in the neighborhood; it could be a walk in nature. That's the best thing of all—walking in nature, connecting with nature, no matter how old you are.
I want to give some specific tips here on walking, which become more important especially after the age of 75 or 80. A lot of older people start to have a poor gait, and I would like you to remember the following:
Firstly, maintain a good posture. Stand as upright as possible with your shoulders back to prevent strain on your back and neck.
Secondly, let your arms swing. Natural arm movement aids in balance and promotes a more efficient stride. Don't, for instance, walk with your hands behind your back or your arms folded.
Finally, avoid slouching. Keep your gaze forward and engage your core muscles for stability.
I would really like you to remember that if you're in a situation where you know you're not walking as much as you should—obviously, this video is more for the older people watching, people over the age of 65—but really, it can apply at any age. If you're not walking as much as you should, then get into the habit now. It's extremely important. The more you can walk, the better. Again, ideally outdoors in nature, you can get some vitamin D as well, get some sunlight—very important for your health. Getting natural sunlight and being outdoors is crucial, but no matter where you do it, even if it's at work, even if you have a very sedentary job, get up and walk as much as possible.
As Thomas Jefferson said, "It is what we were designed to do." That was in the 1700s, and it's even worse now. Don't fall for all the trappings of modern-day living and becoming very lazy, no matter how old you are. Wishing you all happy and healthy walking adventures. Thanks, everyone, for watching! Feel free to comment down below and let me know your thoughts. I enjoy reading all of your comments. Check out my free newsletters and my health program; those links are down below. Hit the like button if you liked this video and the bell button for more similar videos in the future. We will speak again very soon!