Ten Reasons to Go for a Walk

Imagine reading this Substack post while walking in a forest!

This fall I am teaching one of my favorite first-year seminars: “Journaling Our Long Walk Together.” On Tuesday mornings, I will be meeting my UC Davis students in eight outdoor locations, take my students for a walk during which time I will offer facts and stories about the sights we encounter, encourage the class participants to talk with one another, and leave time for us to write in our hardback journals.

As much as I enjoy talking with my students about my 35 years of (hopefully relevant) experiences at UC Davis and in the City of Davis, I take the most delight in spotting a friend or colleague, introducing this unsuspecting local to my eager students, and then ask the “mark” to give a five-minute lecture on a campus or city-related topic of their choosing. Actual readers of this newsletter have been asked to speak to my students, as have a retired Spanish professor and jazz musician, a former Mayor of Davis who is a bicycling enthusiast, and the local artist who wrote the song of the City of Davis, which she volunteered to sing for my students.

I first offered this class during the pandemic. Students had returned to the dorms (everyone had a large single), but not really to our classrooms. An outdoor class was deemed to be safe to teach, so my students were thrilled to be in the presence of their peers, even if in those early days we kept our social distance from one another, masking up even outside.

The assigned readings concerned journaling, enjoying the outdoors, and walking. With that in mind, and to offer another text that I can assign my students, I present to you ten health-related reasons why I, they, and you should all go for a walk.

1. Walking strengthens the heart and circulatory system

Because I walk with my disabled son Jukie, I could be accused of “moseying” or “meandering,” rather than walking quickly, but my students will be encouraged to pick up the pace. Walking briskly increases heart rate and circulation, reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Research also shows brisk walking significantly reduces cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol

2. Walking improves endurance and energy levels

Regular walking builds stamina without the strain of high-impact exercise. Hippocrates allegedly said that “Walking is the best medicine,” anticipating what modern sports medicine confirms. I walk so much that I feel that when I set out on a weekend morning, I could walk all day. On rare occasions, and with pit stops at Jukie’s favorite restaurants and grocery stores, we actually do.

3. Walking aids in weight management

Walking burns calories steadily, especially if practiced daily, the way I practice it, and the way I hope will inspire my students to do the same. A 2015 study summarized by CBS News reported that “good old‑fashioned brisk walking on a regular basis may trump gym workouts and other types of exercise when it comes to managing weight.” Although I use the verb “supersede” rather than “trump,” I still agree with these findings.

4. Walking boosts immune system function

A Harvard Health article titled “5 Surprising Benefits of Walking” cites a study involving over 1,000 men and women (the original study is found in Archives of Internal Medicine from 2008). It reports that individuals who walked at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week had approximately 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised one day per week or less. I have yet to take a sick day at UC Davis (at least for my own illness), but it has only been 35 years. We’ll see.

5. Walking lowers blood pressure and supports cholesterol health

I hope this is true. Because my good cholesterol is a bit low, I have started taking small shots of olive oil and requesting two orders or avocado on my salads, rather than just one. I could eat avocado with every meal.

6. Walking enhances balance and coordination

Especially in older adults, walking strengthens muscles and engages proprioception. Tai Chi master Cheng Man-ch’ing wrote of walking as “a discipline of balance in motion.” When I am out walking, I try to balance myself on curbs, walls, and parapets, my arms outstretched like those of a child. As Jim Henson says, “The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children.”

7. Walking supports joint health

Contrary to myth, walking lubricates joints, improves flexibility, and helps those with arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation. At what age did I start talking about arthritis in my newsletters? Maybe I could

8. Walking helps regulate blood sugar

Post-meal walks can lower glucose levels. A 2013 study published in Diabetes Care, led by Loretta DiPietro at George Washington University, found that three short post-meal walks (15 minutes each) were as effective for reducing 24‑hour blood sugar levels as one continuous 45‑minute walk, especially among older adults at risk for impaired glucose tolerance. I’m definitely engaging in more health research than usual this week. Look at all these links!

9. Walking provides fresh air

Fresh oxygen intake improves alertness and well-being. The Romantic poet Wordsworth, who walked thousands of miles in his lifetime, claimed his imagination was “sharpened on the road.” Meanwhile, Canadian physician William Osler said, “Patients should have rest, food, fresh air, and exercise – the quadrangle of health.” Disappointingly, my doctor never brings up quadrangles.

10. Walking provides you opportunities to notice plants, trees, animals, and seasons

Biologist E.O. Wilson called this connection “biophilia,” or our innate affinity with life. A walk is a daily lesson in ecology. If you are me, then nature walks also provide occasions to write lesson plans and various sorts of assessments.

Enjoy this week’s bonus assigned readings! I’m sorry for your sake that the enrollment cap in my walking first-year seminar at UC Davis has already been reached.

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I want to recognize those who visit my Substack the most often, including Luna, Jean, Ron, Myrna, and Maria, to whom I send sustained compassion. My new paid Substack Subscriber is Anne Da Vigo. Check out her mysteries!

Best,

Dr. Andy

Here are three questions from last week’s quiz:

1. Pop Culture – Music. What funk band had hits with “Jungle Boogie,” “Get Down On it,” and “Ladies Night”?

2. Great Americans. The Apollo 13 commander recently died at age 97. What was his name?

3. Unusual Words. What L word means “relating to a transitional or initial stage; in between two states”?

P.S. Poetry night in Davis takes place every first and third Thursday at 7 PM at the John Natsoulas Gallery.