Last week I was interviewed on a local radio show, BBC Radio Sussex, about my walking challenge to raise money for dementia. My pre show research uncovered a possible link between walking and a reduced likelihood of developing dementia. But how much walking is enough? And how can we fit walking into our busy lives?
In January 2023 I pledged to walk 3202 miles to raise £10,000 for The Alxheimer’s Society. The walk is to honor my Mum – pictured here as I remember her – who has suffered from dementia for the past 10 years. Over that time I have seen my Mum disappearing. Bit by bit, dementia has taken the woman who was deputy speaker of the House of Lords, inspired gardener, Morse fan and beachcomber. The lady who no longer recognises me when I feed her thickened tea from a spoon will always be the best Mum in the world to me. But my heart breaks to know that her story is shared by over *16,000 people in West Sussex and *944,000 nationwide. My 3202 miles is my small contribution to help charities like The Alzheimer’s Society support dementia sufferers and their families as well as to fund research into possible cures.
Can Walking Reduce The Risk of Developing Dementia?
In preparation for the radio show, I discovered research published in 2022, in the Jama neurology journal that suggests that walking may play a role in protecting against dementia. This was a longitudinal study that took place over seven years. Researchers looked at 780,000 participants between the ages of 40 and 75. For three days a week, they wore a step tracker. After seven years they found that participants who walked over 10,000 steps a day had a 50% reduced chance of developing dementia. Those people that walked 3,500 steps every day had a 25% reduction in their chance of developing dementia. They were careful to state that this was an observation rather than a causation. But for me, it adds up to another reason to walk.
Walking Can Reverse The Negative Impact Of Modern Life
We know that walking is good for your cardiovascular fitness. It’s good for your muscular strength, for your stamina and endurance. It’s good for your joint flexibility and balance. My personal experience is that walking is very good for backache. Walking every day has cured my recurring sciatica. It also brings me so much joy. Research shows that there’s a strong correlation between walking and reduction of stress, even an alleviation of depression. When you’re walking, you release lots of endorphins which are mood boosters. And of course, walking in nature, as I’m lucky enough to do where I live, is just so beautiful. It’s a moment to unwind that I always look forward to.
Walking is a simple and effective way to counter many of our modern lifestyle diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes which are linked to our modern sedentary, modern lifestyle. And yet most of us do not take a daily walk. Why?
How Can We Prioritise This Simple Way To Boost Health and Happiness?
If you’re anything like me, life is busy. And walking is slow: it takes 1 hr 40 minutes to get those 10,000 steps in! So one thing I’m trying to do is to build micro walks into my day. Here are some of the ideas that work for me:
- Get off the bus 1 stop early
- Get to meetings 15 minutes early so I can have a 10-15 minute walk beforehand (great for mental clarity too)
- Take a quick 15 minute walk before breakfast, at lunchtime and after dinner. That’s 45 minutes in total. AND it helps digestion and eases food cravings.
- Walk up stairs instead of taking the lift.
- Do some loops around the kitchen or office while you’re making tea or coffee
- Walk to the shops instead of taking the car. Yes I know! This means more visits as you can’t carry everything in one go. But consider a. you are getting your steps in and b. you are less likely to waste food and therefore money when you are restricted in what you can buy.
- Abandon your car as much as possible and walk instead – you’ll save money too
Future Proof Your Body
I know, I know. You don’t have time!
But isn’t your health worth it? Wouldn’t you love to take off a little weight? Wouldn’t you love to have a body that works much more effectively and efficiently? Wouldn’t you love to build up strength, stamina, and flexibility? Wouldn’t you love to future proof your body against our modern lifestyle diseases?
The facts demonstrate that our modern addiction to speed and ‘saving time’ may look good on the surface. But the long term damage to our bodies and mental health – not to mention the planet – of rushing through life are becoming evident. It’s time to slow down and return to a walking pace. Yes, things are going to take longer and require more planning. But as the pretty lady says, “We’re worth it!”
Harriet is a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur living Chichester West Sussex. She is director of children’s music business Boogie Mites and author of the upcoming book ‘Walk Yourself Wonderful: The Simple Way to A Healthy Body And A Happy Mind.’
You can download Harriet’s Free Guide: Walk Yourself Wonderful and find out how you can transform your health and wellbeing with a simple daily walk.