I Went From 10,000 Steps A Day To Wearing A Fracture Boot. Here's What It Taught Me About 'Healthy' Walking

A walkEven when I was the most active I’ve ever been, regularly hitting more than 10,000 steps daily, I knew I was being a little annoying about it all. I was obsessed – as many of the “worried well” are – with optimising my workouts, meaning even my evening strolls were part of A Programme. While “colour walking” and “Jeffing” did help me to relax a little on my walks and runs, though, it took a recent injury for me to see the true value of walking from another (read: less egotistical, more practical) angle.For the past couple of weeks, my foot’s been in a fracture boot – which is a little inconvenient, as my health issue means the area actually recovers better with more movement. Hobbling, hopping, and limping my way through my local park has taught me to embrace a less goal-oriented approach to walking, and I think it’ll stay with me for life.I’ve begun “meditative walking” Far from setting out at a fast clip (which, to be fair, is amazing for your health if you can manage it), I’ve necessarily started walking at a slower pace. And because it’s not exactly a comfortable experience, I’ve begun picking walking spots that engage my senses more to distract me from my steps. That, I’ve learned, is a form of “meditative walking,” which exercise physiologist and VP of operations at Gait Happens, Dr Milicia McDowell, said comes in “many forms”. “There are numerous research studies supporting walking in nature, walking with a mindfulness lens, and walking while doing breathing exercises,” the doctor told HuffPost UK. They can include “colour walking,” breathing drills, and repeating positive affirmations as you wander.Personally, I choose another of McDowell’s favourites – “Walking while focusing on beautiful surroundings in nature has been shown to reduce stress and elevate mood,” she told us.“These types of walks all boost your dopamine and serotonin levels, allowing your body to produce happy hormones.” Joy Puleo, pilates expert, avid runner, and director of education at Balanced Body, agreed, writing: “We can discuss the physical benefits of running and walking all day long, but it is perhaps the mental benefits that are most important. Walking... has been associated with breath regulation, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, and increased overall sense of well-being.“Take the pressure off doing it right, doing it too fast or too slow. Just commit to the walk, enjoy your time outside, ask a friend to join.”Perhaps that’s why I’ve been calmer, more even-keeled, and have even enjoyed my walks more than before The Enbootication.I’ve learned a lot from the practice I’m someone who anxiously researches every sport I try to make sure I’m reaping the “best” health benefits from each of them. However, not only might stress cancel out some of the positive effects of your workout, but you really don’t need to do that – once you’ve reached the basic guidelines for exercise, where possible (75 minutes of high-intensity or 150 moderate-intensity activity a week), more is not always better.For now, long, fast walks, runs, heavy weights, and general high-stress workouts are off the table. But that means other sides to walking – including bringing a pal along, which, though good for you, is hard to do when you’re sticking to a strict schedule – have opened up to me.As Puleo put it: “In today’s fast-paced world, we tend to forget that the small things we do for our bodies matter.“Simply put, walking is just good for us. It helps maintain strong cardiorespiratory fitness and can increase general overall strength, balance, and flexibility. It all adds up,” she ended – even when my more type A side wants to believe a slow walk doesn’t “count”. Related...Is Walking Enough Exercise? Here's What Doctors SayI Swapped 10,000 Steps A Day For 30 Minutes Of 'Japanese Walking' – I've Never Been More ActiveWhy The '10% Rule' Could Save You From Running Injuries

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