There's an old saying that "walking alone can cure diseases," but there's also the opposite claim that "walking alone can cause diseases." As someone who has spent considerable time researching this topic, I find this contradiction fascinating and worth exploring. Today, I want to share insights about walking as a fundamental human need and dive into the science of intermittent fasting - two powerful tools for health that, when understood properly, can transform your well-being.
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Why Humans Are Designed to Walk
Humans are fundamentally designed to walk. In hunter-gatherer societies, people walked 10-15 kilometers daily, sometimes up to 20 kilometers. Our greatest evolutionary advantage was our ability to walk long distances efficiently. However, modern society has dramatically changed this pattern.
Recent surveys show that Seoul residents walk fewer than 5,000 steps per day on average - far below what our bodies need. When we don't walk enough, several problematic changes occur. Prolonged sitting leads to stiffened hip and shoulder joints with reduced range of motion. The thoracic spine also becomes less mobile, ultimately contributing to forward head posture and disc problems. These musculoskeletal issues cascade quickly when we don't walk regularly.
Think of walking not as exercise, but as an essential nutrient - like food that you must consume daily. While we often say "exercise is medicine," walking is more fundamental than that. It's like rice or bread - a basic necessity for survival.
The Remarkable Health Benefits of Walking
The research on walking's health benefits is truly remarkable. A recent American study found that up to about 10,000 steps daily, every additional 1,000 steps reduces the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and various chronic diseases by more than 10%. For diabetes with complications, the risk reduction jumps to over 30% per 1,000 additional steps.
Few interventions in human medicine have such broad-ranging effects. Walking improves cognitive function immediately - your brain literally works better right after walking. It reduces long-term dementia risk, decreases depression, and helps with sleep disorders and gastroesophageal reflux. The benefits plateau around 8,000-10,000 steps, so there's no need to obsess over 20,000 or 25,000 steps daily.
When Walking Can Cause Problems
However, some people do experience problems from walking. This typically happens to those who haven't walked much when younger, or those with existing knee cartilage problems. Often, knee cartilage issues stem from weak surrounding muscles, or when body weight exceeds what the muscle mass and strength can support, leading to decreased musculoskeletal stability.
To prevent these problems, proper stretching before and after walking is crucial. Most older adults also need core strengthening and glute exercises, as these muscle groups are commonly weak.
Essential Exercises for Safe Walking
Core Exercises:
-Bridge exercises: Lying down and lifting your hips. This simple exercise often helps with constipation and pelvic floor issues.
-Squats: Wall squats for beginners, progressing to bodyweight squats.
-Planks: Both front and side planks help with core stability and breathing.
-Superman exercises: Lying face down and lifting opposite arm and leg, great for both core and glutes.
These exercises, done for about 10 minutes morning and evening, can rapidly improve posture and body composition.
The Critical Importance of Muscle Health in Aging
Muscle health in later years determines where you'll be able to live - at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility. It also determines how much help you'll need with daily activities.
The minimum muscle strength needed to stand and walk is about 60 watts - roughly the power of a fan at maximum speed. Healthy adults typically have about 200 watts of power output, giving them a substantial reserve. This reserve capacity is crucial because starting around age 30, we lose about 1% of muscle mass and strength annually.
The real danger comes during illness. When older adults get the flu, pneumonia, or COVID-19 and are bedridden for several days, they can lose 1% of muscle mass per day. Ten days of bed rest can equal ten years of age-related muscle loss. Someone who could barely stand from a chair before illness may become completely bedridden after just a brief illness.
This creates a devastating cascade: inability to move leads to depression, cognitive decline, decreased vitality, and loss of appetite. All the problems we associate with aging follow from this loss of mobility. This is why muscle mass and strength should be treated like a retirement fund - something you invest in throughout your life.
Understanding Intermittent Fasting: The Science
Caloric restriction has been shown to slow aging and prevent disease. Reducing caloric intake by 20-25% activates anti-aging genes while suppressing genes that accelerate aging. However, excessive caloric restriction can put the body into a metabolic hibernation state, where it tries to conserve energy.
In this state, the body stores incoming calories as fat and breaks down muscle for amino acids to convert to glucose. This is the opposite of what we want from dieting or intermittent fasting.
Small animals like mice can nearly double their lifespan with caloric restriction. Recent human studies show that two years of caloric restriction can significantly slow biological aging. But practically implementing a 25% caloric reduction in daily life can be challenging. This is where intermittent fasting becomes valuable.
Types of Intermittent Fasting
-OMAD (One Meal A Day): Eating only once per day
-12:12: 12 hours eating, 12 hours fasting
-16:8: 16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window
-5:2: Normal eating 5 days, very low calories (500) for 2 days
-24-hour fasts: Complete fasting for one day per week
These approaches can activate the same beneficial genes as caloric restriction, including SIRT1 (a longevity gene) while reducing activity of aging accelerators like insulin and mTOR.
The Three-Dimensional Approach to Healthy Fasting
I've developed what I call "three-dimensional fasting" to maximize benefits while minimizing risks:
Dimension 1: Eliminate Simple Sugars and Processed Foods
Simple sugars and processed foods cause rapid blood sugar spikes, leading to insulin release followed by sharp drops in blood sugar. These drops trigger stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which increase appetite and create cravings. Eliminating these foods prevents the blood sugar roller coaster that makes fasting difficult.
Dimension 2: Reduce Eating Window
Only after stabilizing blood sugar should you reduce your eating window. For example, finishing dinner at 7 PM and not eating until noon the next day creates a natural 17:7 intermittent fasting pattern. During the 17-hour fast, longevity genes activate and fat burning occurs.
Dimension 3: Moderate Caloric Reduction
The final step is modest caloric reduction - that 20-25% we discussed earlier. Many people make the mistake of cutting calories too drastically. For example, someone needing 3,000 calories daily should reduce to about 2,250 calories, not 1,200 calories.
Excessive caloric restriction triggers metabolic hibernation, where the body stores any incoming food as fat and breaks down muscle for energy - exactly the opposite of our goals.
Supporting Your Fast
MCT oil and olive oil can help during fasting periods. MCT oil is absorbed directly as energy without requiring digestion and doesn't trigger insulin or mTOR. A small amount can provide brain fuel while maintaining the fasted state.
Who Should Avoid or Modify Intermittent Fasting
Very Lean Individuals
People with very low body fat (men under 8%, women under 13%) risk losing muscle instead of fat during fasting periods. They should maintain normal calories while only reducing eating windows.
Those with Anabolic Resistance
Older adults or those with insulin resistance may have "anabolic resistance" - requiring more protein and exercise to build muscle. These individuals should focus on regular meals with low glycemic foods and strength training rather than fasting.
People with Sarcopenic Obesity
Those who are "skinny fat" also experience anabolic resistance and should prioritize adequate protein intake over fasting.
Conclusion: A Balanced Approach to Health
Intermittent fasting can be an incredibly effective tool for improving body composition, reducing insulin resistance, and activating anti-aging pathways. However, like any powerful intervention, it must be implemented wisely. Too many people misunderstand the concept or apply it too aggressively, leading to muscle loss and metabolic problems rather than the intended benefits.
The key is understanding that both walking and intermittent fasting are tools that work best when applied thoughtfully and consistently. Walking provides the foundation of human health - it's not optional exercise but essential nutrition for our bodies. Intermittent fasting, when done correctly through the three-dimensional approach, can enhance this foundation by optimizing our metabolic health and activating longevity pathways.
Remember, the goal isn't to walk 25,000 steps or fast for days on end. The goal is sustainable practices that support long-term health and vitality. By combining adequate walking with sensible intermittent fasting, while maintaining muscle mass through appropriate exercise and nutrition, we can age more successfully and maintain our independence and quality of life far longer than previous generations.
The science is clear: our bodies are designed to move and to experience periods of feast and famine. By honoring these evolutionary patterns in a modern context, we can unlock remarkable improvements in our health and longevity.
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