Have you wondered, “what’s the best exercise that I can do every day for the rest of my life?”
Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or just feel better in your body, there is one form of exercise that you can not neglect.
Here’s how it works: you put one foot in front of the other.
That’s right. You walk.
My main man Tommy Jeffs used to say it like this:
“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. 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.”
Thomas Jefferson
Given the choice between a four-legged horse and his own two feet, Thomas Jefferson chose to walk. And so should you.
First, here’s how it all started for me…
Here are 4 reasons why walking is the best daily exercise for all goals.
- Walking burns body fat. 🔥According to Harvard Health studies, most folks burn more Calories walking than working out. Don’t get me wrong. Proper strength training is very important for building muscle. And more muscle means more Calorie-burn in the long-term. But in the short-term, walking is a fantastic way to burn Calories without sacrificing your hard-earned muscle. Which brings me to my next point.
- Walking preserves muscle mass. 💪 High-impact activities like running tend to break down muscle tissue and damage joints over time. Especially if performed with improper form. (And most modern humans don’t have great running mechanics. Sorry.) Walking, on the other hand, is a low-impact activity that anybody can do with good form. Plus, it won’t break down your muscle tissue or damage your joints like higher-impact exercises.
- Walking is active recovery. 🛋️ Don’t just slump into the couch after a hard workout or stressful day. Instead, keep your body moving through active recovery. A brief walk will increase blood-flow to your entire body. Your blood is a transport system which carries essential nutrients to your organs and extremities. More blood-flow means faster recovery and longer lifespans. According to the American Heart Association, 150 minutes of walking per week will drastically reduce your risk of all-cause mortality.
- Walking gets you away. 🏕️ Try walking outside in the fresh air without your smartphone. (Did those last 3 words make you cringe? Be honest.) In his best-selling book Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport argues that our modern world is in a state of solitude-deprivation. Constant connection is driving us crazy. Do you want to have a sharp mind like Henry David Thoreau, Friedrich Nietzshe, or Abraham Lincoln? Then you must spend time alone with your thoughts, just like they did. To quote Nietzshe himself, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”
Because of these 4 reasons (and many more) I started hitting my daily step goal in March of 2020, and I haven’t stopped yet. Here are 10 more things I’ve learned.
Long story short: If somebody tells you that walking doesn’t count as exercise, then you can tell them to shut up. Send them this article.
This isn’t even an exhaustive list! There are many more reasons why you should be walking daily. These are just 4 to get you started.
I don’t want to overwhelm you with information. Especially if you’re new to this. You have to take your walking journey one step at a time. (See what I did there? Tehehe.)
If you’re still hungry for more on walking, then you can stream my free 1-hour podcast deep-dive on the topic. Simply click the link to your preferred podcasting platform below. (Ep. aired 8/27.)
iTunes
Google Play
RSS
Spotify
Stitcher
And that’s that. Farewell.
This will be my last blogpost for a while. I’m going off-the-grid (except from the private Fitness Forever Whatever Facebook group).
I’m 25. Life happens. Things change. And I’m stepping back from the all-consuming digital world to allow new things to emerge.
If there is anybody out there who is actually reading this blog and getting value out of it, please let me know by sending me an email.
“Ta-ta for now.”
