Latest / Life and How to Live It with Dr Rocco / “10,000 Steps Is a Myth — Here’s What the Science Actually Says”

Transcript

“10,000 Steps Is a Myth — Here’s What the Science Actually Says” · Life and How to Live It with Dr Rocco

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Do you sometimes feel like life is passing you by?
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: How would you like to get more out of life?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: We explore all things life on this podcast.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Life and How to Live It podcast with Dr.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Life and How to Live It.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Run and labbin love every minute.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Life and how to live it.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Dream, create, connect, just live it.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of the Life and How to Live It podcast with me, Dr.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: In today's episode, my co-host Pete and I will discuss walking and how you can walk your way to a better life.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Walking is the most underrated exercise out there.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: It has so many benefits that if it were a medication, everyone would want a prescription for it.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Pete, welcome to the show.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Rock, thanks for having me.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: Great to see you again.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: Great to have you here.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oh I know when you said that, I was like, uh, if there was one topic that you really should have me on there for, yeah, it's this.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what I was thinking, but at least I came to my senses.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, Pete, you are the biggest walker that I know.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've known you since we were kids, and yeah, you've always walked everywhere, walked to work, walked everywhere.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, to you know, share with the listeners something about that.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and I I was thinking about it, you know, because I don't think about it when I'm walking, you know, it's it's it's second nature.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: If I had to give a percentage of what you know, the the percentage of walking I do in comparison to my life, it's gotta be 50%.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: I do so much for so many different reasons.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, it's always been that way.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: It could be, you know, uh my mode of transportation, you know, how I get somewhere.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it could be my method, my favorite method of exercise.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: It could be, and we've talked about this before.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it is my source of mindfulness.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Walking means so much to me.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: I can't even and I will try and explain it, but it it's it's it's a solo activity that I have made into such a social activity.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I like that.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: So it is a solo activity that you have made social.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when I I remember you as you know a teenager having a job at at Caldors, you know, and Caldors for people who don't know, was like what was Caldors?
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: It was like uh what would it be like today?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like a like a Walmart or something, yeah.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: A Target, a Walmart, you know, it has everything.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can go one place and you could get everything there, you know.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and you had this job there, and you walked to that job.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: How far away was that?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Over a giant hill up and down, probably one of the the highest hills.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And now at at our age, if we see the hill even driving up it, you're like, even driving up is something, but you know, and and it's so funny you say that because not only was it the way I got there, it was the um uh over time I'd be like, okay, I could shave some time and steps if I go this way instead, or if I cut through this path here.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Back in the day, remember when we were kids in that, everything was a path.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there was a path through this field to get to this park, there was a path through this to get there.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and and I it's almost and I'll use this word again later, it almost a sense of accomplishment.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was a few miles, and always the walk back is worse than the water.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, because you you've had a full day.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: You've just worked all day, yeah.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: But it really set me up for you know, absolutely the love of of walking.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and that was definitely solo walking, you know.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: That was definitely solo.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: You didn't see a person, yeah.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you you wouldn't want to.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: No, you wouldn't walk it into Yonkers.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: That was like a couple weeks ago, remember when I I went to the Bronx and and walked my old uh neighborhood there, and uh goodness, it was it's about to walk.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: So so I have also always been a very avid walker.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you have you know, I I also am an avid driver, so you know, I I don't use walking as a mode of transportation as much as you, but usually, you know, if something's close enough, I'll walk, you know.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's like I'd rather walk, you don't have to worry about parking.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I've always thought walking is the best way to see any place, you know.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right, absolutely.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Observe as you're walking, it is so so true.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you are a great walker, and I love it when we get together, when we have our little mini vacations or or anything, it's about walking.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you know, we we we go to places where we are walking, yeah.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: We choose places that are walking friendly.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we've never all been to LA together, for instance.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: Right, you know, we go to cities that are like you can walk around, and and we're very proud to get our 25,000 steps, you know.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly, exactly.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: So true.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and so, you know, for me, you know, I've been uh a walker, but um, you know, unlike you, you know, I've also been a hiker.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like I don't I don't see you as a guy who's done a lot of hiking.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: No, you know what, and where I've lived hasn't really precluded me from doing that.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: When I do have the opportunity, absolutely love doing it, but it's not something a lot of mine has been about, you know, from place to place, you know, and and and and you know, seeing people, seeing destinations, it's not about uh the hiking, but I absolutely love it because of the the the nature aspect of that, yeah, yeah.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: So that's something to to mention is like you know, walking is really good for you, and we're gonna get into that in a second.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: But if you can be walking outdoors specifically rather than say like an indoor, you know, track or something, you know, that the being outside is better, and being in nature is even better.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's something about nature that is just replenishing to us, you know.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: So true, so so true.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, so let's talk about some of the benefits of walking.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I uh I did some research before the episode, and uh, you know, I'm not gonna go into the details of studies, but I'm just going to summarize some of the benefits, you know, and some of the benefits, you know, the as I said earlier, there's so many benefits.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's so underrated.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: It can decrease your blood pressure, it can decrease your LDL or or the bad cholesterol, it decreases your blood sugar, especially if you're walking after a meal.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it clearly helps with weight management because it's movement.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: Pete, jump in.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: I'm you know, I don't want to monopolize, but I want to ask you this question.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you lost a lot a lot of weight a few years ago.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: What did walking play a part in that at all?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and and obviously, you know, establishing the first 12 minutes, I do a lot of walking.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but what it was was always or for the most part, it was getting from place to place, you know, seeing things.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: But when I started that journey to get healthy and to lose weight, I tracked I tracked my walking, you know, and and not per steps.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I did it per time.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, like like this was a good time for me to walk.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: I ate, I walked, I got up, I walked, you know, so I took time in between things to walk.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, that absolutely, in my opinion, helped me get to where I am today.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: How much weight did you actually lose?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: I lost over 50 pounds in a couple of years.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um significant amount of weight.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, and and and it was needed.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I was I was sedentary.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: At times I didn't have to be or shouldn't have been.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so that was that was the key was getting up.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm telling you, Rocky, at least for me, what worked is is uh not doing everything at once, you know, not having to, you know, like you see those those those pictures of that of people grabbing all of their bags, grocery bags out of the car, and I'm making this in one trip, and I'm you know, no, I I added steps in certain ways.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Everything to me, everything counts, you know, everything counts, you know.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And and if it was, you know, four trips down to the washer to do something that could I could have probably done in one, you know, here I got steps in, I got stairs in, I got all these things, and to me, at the end of the day, they all added up.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's a really good point.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, uh, I had an episode, you know, or like in the first season where I talked about exercise guidelines, and you know, the the recommendation is 150 minutes of activity, moderate level activity, which you know, some walking is not that moderate, but you can make it moderate, you know.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: And what they said was you don't have to do it in like uh 30 or 40 minute chunk, right?
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: Everything adds up, everything counts to the point, to your point, where I practice something that's called maximum inefficiency.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I coined this term myself.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I am I not surprised.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: I am I am retired from my job, uh, and so I do have time.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, some people need to like squeeze every every second out of the you know, be efficient because they're they're really busy.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: I happen to be a little less busy, yeah, so I can be maximally inefficient, which means I do take extra steps all the time.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: I I fold laundry on one side of my house and I and I carry items to the other side of my house uh just to get extra steps.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: Me too.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I could fold all my laundry like in the place where all my like where my dresser is, for instance.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right, right.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I purposely do it on the other side of the house.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: My wife thinks I'm a little crazy, you know, because but to me, those are all extra steps.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: They're not the best steps, it's not like walking outside or walking up a hill, but they're still steps.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's different than sitting on the bed and folding and putting them in an inch away from where you are.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I so agree.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: So it's about movement, you know, movement is really important.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, getting back to the benefits, the the research back uh backed benefits, it helps with bone density.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: People who may not be aware uh bone uh density is improved with weight-bearing activity, and walking is a weight-bearing activity, so you know that's something right there.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: It decreases your cortisol level, and cortisol is related to stress.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: We all have had that experience of being a little you know amped up, a little stressed, and going out for a walk and feeling better.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that's part of it.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's part of it right there.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: It also releases some endorphins, you know, especially if you do a brisker walk.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and that right there, you know, between decreasing cortisol and increasing endorphins, you know, you're just gonna feel better.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: And it can, you know, increase your mental sharpness.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, part of that is is just increased blood flow.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you exercise, any kind of exercise, you increase blood flow and you feel sharper.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: But there is also some evidence that uh walking, consistent walking, more vigorous walking can increase something called BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: And that is responsible for cell growth.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it can actually help to just, you know, I don't want to overplay the benefit, but there is potentially some benefit as people get older to help them, you know, uh avoid dementia or or forestall it in some way just by being out and active and walking.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: And it helps with sleep, helps with both sleep quality and quantity.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, so like I said before, you know, if this were a medication, people would be lining up to get a prescription for it.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: So, and it's free and it's easy, and we all can do it, you know.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: All I mean, I was a rehab doctor.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: I know that not everyone can walk, and so that's a whole other category.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: But most people can walk.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need a lot of equipment, you need a decent pair of shoes, yes, and some safe place to walk.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that's it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's amazing, it's so accessible to people.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: So true.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: Now you um you do a uh wellness program at your work.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I'm sure walking must be part of that, right?
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you know what?
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what kicked it off for me was you know, uh asking if I could start a walking club, right?
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it's been oh geez, probably over 15 years now that I've been doing it.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um in and it's morphed into different things, you know, it's morphed into to longer walks, mindfulness walks, nature walks, all different types of walks.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, for that, I always say to people, if you could just get up and get away from your desk, get away from your screen, even if it's for 21 minutes.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I I always quote 21 minutes, I don't know why.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I always say that.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can get up, not only are you getting that mile in or however long you could go in that time, it's also such a great way to be social.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, in our groups, you meet people that you might never see in our large institution, right?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: But it's somebody that, oh, you know what?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: I can't make this time every time, but now I know a great way and a great path to walk, look around, see people talk, and so yeah, so no, I only I not only do I help lead walks, I do presentations, I do walking tours, I do history tours all the time, walking.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: So while you're learning something, you might not know it, but you just got a mile and a half of walk-in at the same time.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, no, I think there's there's there's so many ways that I help get people initiated into uh to me the joys of walking.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what a what a great thing that you've added to the you know your workplace by getting people out and walking, and you know, it's like like you said, all those benefits of of seeing things, interacting with people.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: I did an uh episode, a recent episode on burnout, and you know, I talked about how you know getting up away from your desk, yeah, you know, moving, clearing your head, interacting with people, you know, like this uh there's been a real decrease in collegiality in the workplace with technological changes and so true, all the pushes for productivity and all of this kind of stuff.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: And it it helps it leads it helps to contribute to burnout, and just something simple like having a little group of people who go out for a walk at lunchtime, it will not only help your health, but it'll help your you know avoid or or you know prevent burnout.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: So so true.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I uh and I love it because even if you haven't joined us, you have seen us walking, and if you do it on your own, great, you don't have to go with me, that's fine.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm kind of boring after a while.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: But if you it just gets you to say, that looks like pretty good fun.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go do it.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Even you do it at home wherever, if it gets you started and it's you find something that you you know you become passionate about, you know, I I've done my job, you know, and as a person, not just you know, as my job.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I'm I'm sure that you're like the Pied Piper over there in Buffalo.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone wants to walk with you.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's it's funny because I used to joke that if I'm walking to a meeting, I have to leave at least a half hour before the meeting because there's no way I'm not stopping and talking to everybody.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're giving directions, and when I give directions, I don't point.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I walk you to your place that you gotta go.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I love it.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we we've kind of talked a little bit about this idea of step count, right?
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's like let's get more steps.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: I walk across the house so I can get more steps.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's this number, this 10,000 steps a day number, which people talk about, and it's it's a really interesting thing.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I didn't realize it until I started looking into this that that number really is based on nothing.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you go back to the beginning of it, it's like, where did this come from?
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I did go back to the beginning, and you know, maybe some listeners know this story, but I bet most don't.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we just have this number, 10,000, and it's like, I don't know why I've just got to walk 10,000 steps.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, in the 1960s in Japan, there was a company called Yamasa, and they developed a pedometer, so it's something that would count your steps.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: And the pedometer was gonna come to market around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: So they were gonna do a little bit of like a marketing push for this pedometer, and they decided to call the pedometer the mumpo kai, the mampokai, which basically means something like the 10,000-step meter.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: So they came up with this number.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, it didn't come out of thin air.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: They did have a sense of like the average Japanese person was walking something close to 5,000 steps a day, and they thought, well, maybe if people would double it, you know, they would you know wear this meet this meter, this pedometer, and um the pedometer is going to be called the 10,000 step meter, and and therefore it would encourage them to walk more than their 5,000 steps.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and and so you know, this is a number that is just basically based on marketing.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know, marketing from how long ago did you say 65?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like around 1963, 64.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: Something like that.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, what does the actual research say?
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: You know, is 10,000 steps, you know, a really an important number?
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: And the answer is no, it's not.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's not.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's a bunch of studies in in major journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, you know, big medical journals that that say that the step count is first of all, it's very relative.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's really just doing more steps than you normally do.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's really the important thing.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: But if you're going to find a number where things seem to get better as far as health outcomes, it seems like it's around 7,000 steps or maybe 7,500 steps.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there was a study in Lancet in 2022 that said for people who are over over 60, the number could be anywhere as low as 6,000 steps.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: So, so you know, and and there is some benefit, there is some evidence that getting more steps is better.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, if you can do 10, that probably is better, but there's not a magic thing that happens at 10.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's more and like I just said, it's more about getting more steps than you normally get.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: And and that's that's why I love using my um my phone.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: I have an iPhone and it has a step counter in it.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: And and the downside of that is I don't even want to walk like a to the you know bathroom from the living room, you know, without without my phone.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of you know, kind of annoying.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, it is the way that I'm I keep an eye on the steps.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's not about it's not about 10,000 per se.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's about you know, comparing myself this month to last month to like today to yesterday, and always trying to maintain a uh a number and hopefully more, you know, more than I did last year, that kind of thing.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and it's funny, you've always done that, you know, for as long as I remember, you know, it's the year to year, it's the month to month, it's
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: the you know the big picture the individual days equal the big picture and that is that is so impressive that you are just so consistent with that yeah yeah you know and um you know I I had I didn't mention what's interesting is in about a week uh I am leaving you know for Portugal with my wife uh and she and I and four of our friends are going to walk the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela which is about a 160 mile walk.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: Wow that's incredible yeah so we're doing this 160 mile walk in about 14 days something like that you know my phone better be on me and working because I want credit for all of this stuff.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: I want to see progress there Rock I definitely want to see we'll we'll see a big like jump in the in the bar graph.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be great.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: That is so impressive and it's and and what's uh funny in two weeks I'll be doing a lot of steps also but it will be in the one of three places that me and my wife usually go and we are going to Las Vegas in two weeks.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: So that that 160 miles would be going from like uh one casino to the other you know that's right yeah you can definitely get a lot of steps in there most people don't think of it as a walking city you know they're there for the shows the casino but you can walk a lot oh and and we do I mean I and I was thinking about as it I was preparing for this where are our three main places that we go we go to Las Vegas we go to Walt Disney World and we go to New York City three to four times a year okay all of those have walking as a major component of what we do um and for all different reasons but it's it's great.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: So Rock that is um 160 miles in four what so what would that average per day is some days going to be more than others or yeah yeah some days will be I think the the shortest day is eight miles and the longest is 15 you know so it's it's it's a lot it's a lot but um it'll be great and one of the things that you know I want to say as we get closer to the end of this episode is you know uh the the the social connection that you can have with walking you know so in this walk I'm walking with my wife and four of our good friends.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: Now I don't believe we're gonna be like side by side walking for 160 miles but we're doing this thing together.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: So part of it will be walking together part of it you'll be walking alone which is actually a lovely balance.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: Walking not only has health benefits mental health benefits cognitive like brain benefits but it's also just really good as a way to connect with people socially right with say say you are walking side by side with someone you can have the best conversations right so true so true.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know it it could be you know and and uh a good reason to have that is there's very few distractions you know it's not like you're home and and and thinking about this or you know going to work and doing this you are out you're in nature you it you're free you know obviously you got to know your surroundings that is key and important um but yeah it it's it's so freeing to be able to do that and those conversations then flow they flow they flow because I think your body is flowing your your your heart your your blood is pumping I also think that if you're walking side by side with someone you don't have to like look at them right so there's something there's something like if you're say you're sitting and like having a cup of coffee you're looking at someone talking you're kind of like I don't know you're performing in a way you know you've got to like kind of you may oh you know my should I nod now do I have to like make eye contact what am I supposed to do but really if you're walking you're just kind of looking straight ahead and talking to that person.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's like it's a little bit like it takes a little pressure off especially if a person has a little social anxiety which neither of us do but you know some people do.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: Of course um it doesn't have to be a continuous conversation when you're walking there can be long lulls and and that's okay because you're not like imagine if you had a long lull in a conversation and you're sitting staring at someone that's weird right that's awkward.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's awkward.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny because when when I'm thinking about me and you and obviously we've been together for forever um most a lot of our conversations in my mind is when we are walking or when we are together we're side by side you know we have a coffee we have something and we're not looking at each other we're looking out at either nature or buildings or something and having our conversation.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: So you are right on when you say that.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah yeah and you know there there is something a little different about male friendships versus female friendships you know I think male friendships are really good shoulder to shoulder yeah you know uh we like to be like doing something while we're talking rather than the talking be the whole thing right it's it's just a quirk of of of the male psyche.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: So you know for if there are men out there listening who want to like connect better with their male friends, you know, I uh taking a walk is probably better than going out for coffee.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah I love it.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah I love it.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Very true um and then you know like the last topic that I had for us was basically talking about like the solitude of walking you know solitude is a really important thing in in life and especially in our time.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yes so true.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: If I can add about that because that is so important to my daily life you know the the the mixture of being social and being solo.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: So first off when I go to w uh when I walk and if for if I hadn't mentioned on an earlier show I walk to work in the morning you know so it's an early in the morning start to the day and every walk I have it's there's no like throwaway walks you know it's not like just to get from here to there.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just to get X amount of steps you know I'm very cognitive of my surroundings.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know I think it's very important even if you've done it a thousand times always be cognitive of of where you're walking when you're walking um your surroundings I'm always prepared you know clothing flashlight you name it I'm always ready to go and with that it gives me the the sense that at at times I do introspect I do think of not only my day but thoughts that you know are are come up because of that solitude.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's just me out there and and a lot of wildlife that I that that I see out there as I'm walking.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it is it is a great start to my day to be you know present as I'm walking.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead yeah yeah no I I think that's absolutely spot on you know it's this this time to think this time to you know have uh introspective time where you're by yourself and and um you're you're not likely to be bothered by anybody you know generally speaking I do my very very best thinking when I walk by myself I pray sometimes when I walk by myself you know it's like some there's people who do meditation when they're walking like medit meditative walking it's kinda sounds a little odd we're used to people like in a lotus position but you can meditate while you're walking you can practice breathing exercises you know you can do all sorts of things while you're walking I stretch walking you stretch yeah you know like I I I'll move my wrists I'll move my arms I'll move my shoulders I'll you know just to keep moving and yeah that'll keep people away from you absolutely until they start talking to me so yeah yeah so um you know another thing real quick if I can add rock absolutely um one thing I've been doing I did it last year um obviously now we all have our phones on us as we're walking um so every month as I'm walking to work either on work or on my route I'll take a picture of something really interesting to me um because like I said and so what I did um this year for people is I made a a a photo calendar of one photo per month of my walking to work or walking on work so every month they flip over and they see oh this is what you know campus look like in August or you know so so it's just a a a neat little way to look back also to see you know your journey I like that a lot I like that really a lot that's uh a way to just I don't know it's like a little a little milepost of your of your day you know right there that walk you took right exactly yeah so yeah so you know walking with people is great walking alone is great you know it helps with for mindfulness for like feeling centered and grounded you know we don't have to repeat this this theme of of how nutty the like your your life is everyone's life you know with all of our devices and and demands upon us and all of that and you know it's sometimes people don't get any time to themselves but if you just go out and take a walk you know it will help it will help it will not only help you feel better but it will help you to be more productive you know it's like productivity everyone wants to be productive yo if if you can clear your head and be more like you know have that that blood pumping that you know the thinking getting clearer you're just gonna be more productive and successful.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: Refreshed yes refreshed perfect so I think we've beaten this one to death but uh hopefully everybody um you know has gotten some idea of our personal passion for walking in in different ways you know you know it's like we didn't say you know that there's a lot of ways to walk you know you can walk like you can do nature walks you can do you know like you said this thing about taking a one picture.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know some people are like the birders you know who go out you know like they're bird watching and and and they you know or you know nature walks with your camera which is for most people is their phone these days but um taking pictures you know it's like there's so many ways like golfing is taking a walk you know so walking your dog right walking your dog there's a lot of health benefits to owning a dog and one of them is that it makes you take more steps every day right I mean uh real quick remember um my dad you know later in life he had his dog and and every day he could not wait to not only meet the other dogs in the neighborhood but the people walking them and that's how they communicated and talked and and got together every day.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: It was great for him.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: So so there's so many reasons to get out and walk and remember if all these benefits were a medicine you would be begging your doctor for it and you have control.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: You can just get out and take walks and and make it consistent uh to make to as I said at the top of the show walk your way to a better life now it's time for Dr.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco's rex Dr.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco's now it's time for Dr.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco's rex well my recommendation today is try doing a camino you know so I mentioned earlier that uh in a week I'm leaving for the Portuguese Camino.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_01: So what is a camino?
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: These are ancient uh pilgrimage routes that can be anywhere in the world the ones that I've mostly done have been in in Spain and Italy.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: Now this one will be partially in Portugal and you know what's really special about these things is that they take you out of your day-to-day life and they make you focus on literally getting from point A to point B.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: The only job you have on a on that day is to walk you know 10 or 12 miles and you know just that feeling of of you know getting rid of everything else and just focusing on something as simple as that.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you will unless you've done it you will never understand what it means to get up in the morning and know you have to walk 12 miles and and and then get up the next day and know you have to walk 15 miles and and and do it for two weeks for a month you talk about mental clarity and focus.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: Everything falls away all distractions and all that matters is do I have enough water where am I getting food where am I sleeping I need a break my blisters hurt whatever but it's like takes everything away all the things that you would have worried about in your day-to-day life so I think it's a great way to recharge it you know it started as a a religious thing originally but even if you're not a religious person you know there's there's people who do these caminos and and there are thousands and thousands and thousands of people who do them so you're not going to be walking alone you will see lots of people from all over the world so it can be a social thing it could be an adventure it could be a challenge it could be a spiritual rather than religious thing it could be whatever you want to make it and and people say everyone walks their own camino and and you won't understand that until you try it yourself.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_01: So the caution there the caveat is of course you need to be in physical condition so you know see your doctor first you know that's my disclaimer and you'll need the time not everyone has that kind of time in their busy lives but if you can find the time I recommend try doing a Camino so today I want to close the program with a quote from Hippocrates that ancient Greek physician who we know from the Hippocratic oath all of us doctors take this Hippocratic oath when we when we finish medical school so this is a doctor that was you know let's say 3000 years ago so 2500 3000 years ago and he said if you are in a bad mood go for a walk if you are still in a bad mood go for another walk.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_01: So that is our friend Hippocrates with this wisdom about the wellness the mental benefits of walking so many years ago.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well that's it for today's show.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_01: I am so happy that you were able to join Pete and me today for a little time talking about walking I hope you got something out of it.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time so long thanks for listening to the Life and How to Live It podcast with Dr.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: Rocco.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: If you'd like to book a coaching session with me simply visit the show notes and schedule a discovery call.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: And if today's episode encouraged you or added value to your life please subscribe and leave a review.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_01: Remember life is not a dress rehearsal.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time so long just live it I've