For many people, walking is the simplest and most doable form of exercise. All that’s required is slipping on a pair of comfy shoes and opening your door. But do you need to do anything special to reap the health benefits of a daily stroll?
There is plenty of misinformation out there on this subject. Common advice like aiming for 10,000 steps a day makes it seem like maximizing the impact of walking means covering long distances or keeping up a heart-thudding pace. But much of this advice is based on folk wisdom, not science.
What does the research actually show? A new study suggests the key to getting the greatest benefits from your walking routine isn’t meeting some arduous but arbitrary goal. It’s actually to pause and stop to smell the roses more.