Bernarr Macfadden was sort of the Godfather of Physical Fitness in America. Certainly he was one of the pioneers. He published Physical Culture Magazine at the end of the 1800’s and well into the 1900’s. He was a crusader for Health and Fitness from the late 1800’s until his death in 1955. He was the mentor for Paul Bragg (health foods) who in turn mentored Jack LaLanne. Macfadden made Charles Atlas a household name.
He believed that walking was one of the most beneficial exercises that Seniors could do to maintain health, independence and keep the internal organs sound. In his book/course, Making Old Bodies Young, he said about walking:
“If there is one supreme exercise for advanced age, an exercise that is more valuable than any other from a constitutional and health standpoint, it is walking.” — Lesson 10, p. 10
We have all seen walking as exercise extolled in the newstand magazines and in the Health and Wellness sections of our newspapers. We have seen articles all over the place on the health and fitness benefits of walking.
Macfadden believed that: “walking means not so much exercise for the legs as exercise for the internal organs. It means exercise for the heart and lungs. It keeps one breathing deeply and fully, and through this deep breathing, it means the more perfect oxygenation of the blood. This means a greater cleanliness of every tissue and every cell in the body.” — ibid.
More recent studies have shown the value of walking and other exercise for mitochondrial health (physical energy) as well as overall health, longevity, and prevention of chronic illness. Nothing new in the process, only in the discoveries in the science behind it.
There is as much flexibility in walking as exercise as in any exercise there is. You can walk fast or slow. You walk on flat or hilly terrain. You can walk as far or as short a distance as you want. You can walk at age 60, 70, 80 and up. I am 82 and my wife and I walk a lot. If you walk at 3 miles per hour, a good rate for the typical Senior, you will cover a mile in just 20 minutes.
My wife, Edie, and I just got back from a few days in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Natural Bridge is an attraction that brings in a lot of Seniors as visitors. The catch is that to get to the bridge from the Visitor’s Center and back, there a very long, very steep series of steps. Lot of them. And the Seniors we saw, all walked down and back up that long series of steps. Tired but undaunted. Hats off to them. There used to be a shuttle bus but we didn’t see one anywhere.
Tourist walking counts too. Hills will add to the experience. Any kind of walking will help. Even parking your car a distance from where you are going in a shopping center is often seen in magazines as a health and longevity tip.
Those who have been reading this blog and it’s predecessor, Energy Bites, know of my penchant for simplicity and naturalness in exercise for Seniors. I believe that walking for exercise is about as simple and as natural as exercise can get. I recommend it to beginners and experts alike. Should it be your only exercise? Probably not, but it sure will help keep you healthy and fit if you do it. Of course, check with a medical professional first if you are new to exercise.
Hmm, it’s a beautiful day outside here in Northern Virginia. “Hey Edie, let’s go for a walk.”
Thank you for reading this SeniorFlow Moment.
