Walking 3½ miles a day

MACKTEXAS

MACKTEXAS

Well-known Member
This NPR story from last month says we need to get in 7000 steps of walking per day for maximum health benefit. A mile is only 2000 steps. I walk 2 miles a day most days and thought that was enough. None of the seniors I know personally have mentioned walking 3½ miles a day.
 

PeppermintPatty said:
Walking 2 miles a day is great!
Do you walk outside or inside on a treadmill?
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Inside, but I don't have a treadmill. I have measured my house inside and to start at one place, go all the way through it, back to where I started 18 times = 1 mile. I have a jar of marbles at the starting place with 36 marbles and take one out each time I get there until it's empty.
 
I run 2 1/2 miles two or three times a week. Ride my bicycle about 4 miles on big hills three times a week.

I have quite a few issues. If I added being out of shape on top of that, I wouldn't be able to do diddly squat.

I love to walk, it feels fantastic. My issues and my restrictive schedule keep me from going on long hikes, I miss that.
Once in a blue moon the cards fall right and I take advantage and get a hike in;)
 
MACKTEXAS said:
Inside, but I don't have a treadmill. I have measured my house inside and to start at one place, go all the way through it, back to where I started 18 times = 1 mile. I have a jar of marbles at the starting place with 36 marbles and take one out each time I get there until it's empty.
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Good for you. It sounds like you have a solid routine. I like the added marble part. Are you thinking about increasing it to 3 1/2 miles? That’s almost twice what you’re doing now.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Good for you. It sounds like you have a solid routine. I like the added marble part. Are you thinking about increasing it to 3 1/2 miles? That’s almost twice what you’re doing now.
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That news story made me feel disappointed, but no, I will not increase it. I don't know what kind of "science" can really make that assessment. It would take almost an hour and a half to walk that far, and I'm not willing to spend that much time on something so boring. Unlike your walks, through beautiful paths where you live.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
That news story made me feel disappointed, but no, I will not increase it. I don't know what kind of "science" can really make that assessment. It would take almost an hour and a half to walk that far, and I'm not willing to spend that much time on something so boring. Unlike your walks, through beautiful paths where you live.
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Any disciplined walking regimen is good(y)
 
I do a 5 km run every week (parkrun) and walk my dog and between everyday walking at home and work and table tennis and lawn bowls, we play in competitions, I think I would walk close on that, on average
5 km is 3 miles - parkrun has lots of walkers as well as runners and the last ones usually come in around an hour or just over
 
At 68 I do about 5 miles a day easy. I gave up driving years ago when I was still working and it was nothing to walk 5 or 6 miles to get to my factory job and on my feet all day. As a VA volunteer escort recently we pushed patients all day. That was a good 10 miles a day. Even walking in the home doing laps from room to room for a few hours a day is around 5 miles. I wear a pedometer sometimes while doing it.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
Inside, but I don't have a treadmill. I have measured my house inside and to start at one place, go all the way through it, back to where I started 18 times = 1 mile. I have a jar of marbles at the starting place with 36 marbles and take one out each time I get there until it's empty.
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You tube has in home walking videos that might be more engaging if you're interested. You can look up 3 mile walks. I like to use those virtual walks for treadmills. At least there's nice outdoor scenery and stuff.
 
I've hiked 3 miles 18x since in the last 25 days elk hunting. Half those walks were in the dark and all occurred on game trails through field, forest and a couple river crossings. I'm looking forward to a few hikes in Yellowstone in search of animals next month, but generally don't care for walks or hikes solely for exercise.

150 minutes of intense exercise a week is a pretty good target and frequently recommended. Strength and power are necessary for longevity so I don't waste a whole lot of time on cardio until it gets closer to ski season.
 
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MACKTEXAS said:
This NPR story from last month says we need to get in 7000 steps of walking per day for maximum health benefit. A mile is only 2000 steps. I walk 2 miles a day most days and thought that was enough. None of the seniors I know personally have mentioned walking 3½ miles a day.
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2 miles a day is enough. Just take smaller steps, pretty soon you'll be up to 7000.
 
I have always been someone who walks a lot.... but I've got OA in my knees, specifically the right one.. so as I live on top of a big hill... it's too painful for me to walk back up the hill... now... but I can still walk smartly on the flat road..

So sometimes I'll drive to the next town and walk there where it's flat... but more often than not I can't be bothered, so I have a treadmill here at the house, so I use that 3 times a week, and walk a mile and a half on that at a pace of 4.5 mph.... or until my knee hurts.. whichever is soonest
 
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I go to the gym 5 days a week and typically walk 1.5 miles on the treadmill. Then I follow it up with weights.

Not to hijack the topic, but I have friends who live on a hill in San Francisco. Not only do they go to the gym, they hike out by their home. One is in his early 60's and is the epitome of being in great shape but started to feel short of breath when they hiked. He was diagnosed with a 60% blockage in major arteries! He just had open heart surgery, but the good news is that he is recovering far more quickly than expected and is out taking short walks again near their house.

The other good news is that it spurred my hubby, who turns 60 this year, to walk everyday and join my gym.
 
I put a pedometer on my belt and aim to walk at least 10,000 steps every day. When the weather is agreeable, part of that is a 2 mile outdoor walk....out the back door, through the village, along the county road past cornfields to the highway and then back again. That's a half hour walk In the winter which can be arctic-like, I stride in a circuit around the house: Kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, office, laundry room, kitchen.......around and around. Before bedtime, I record how many steps I walked that day.......I'm getting kind OCD about that.
 
I was an athlete in my youth. I played sports and ran in my twenties and thirties, and since my forties, have walked almost daily. But I felt something was missing. Last night, I saw a Youtube video that talked about a 2024 Copenhagen study on 8,000 seniors, and there were five exercises that they claimed were better than walking. I tried them out last night. The last exercise in the video, I had a hard time getting up afterward, lol. Let me know what you think:

 
palides2021 said:
I was an athlete in my youth. I played sports and ran in my twenties and thirties, and since my forties, have walked almost daily. But I felt something was missing. Last night, I saw a Youtube video that talked about a 2024 Copenhagen study on 8,000 seniors, and there were five exercises that they claimed were better than walking. I tried them out last night. The last exercise in the video, I had a hard time getting up afterward, lol. Let me know what you think:
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While I agree w the premise of the video(that strength training is better than ONLY walking), and the 5 exercises are ok, they are definitely not the be all and end all for senior fitness. I am guessing the study groups were composed of completely untrained participants which is why their gains were dramatic.
 
I started walking during the pandemic and have kept it up.

I normally get 10,000 step or approx. five miles, weather permitting.

About the only thing that stops me is ice on the roads. Even on the worst days I can usually get in a couple miles after the sun and road salt help to melt the ice.

IMO the distance isn’t as important as the habit, start where you are and gradually add a few steps as you get stronger.

Walking has become as important to my mental health as it has to my physical well being. The hour and a half that I spend walking alone gives me time to think deeply and helps to pass the time.

“Get up offa that thing…” - James Brown
 

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