After a hip replacement, Barbara Brugh kissed tennis goodbye.
And now, with a “funny little body that doesn’t want to turn as much,” she says golf is fading from her agenda, too.
No matter. This John’s Island resident walks. And walks. And walks.
At age 86, she’s out there four times a week, striding for two miles each time, just as she’s done for the last 15 years. Some days, she’s not raring to go. But she always ends up glad that she went. Everything in her mind and her body feels better after, as well as during the walks.
“It’s quiet time,” she says. “My mind is not whirling but I’m not jumping from this activity to that activity. It’s time to be still and replenish my spiritual thinking. It’s wonderful for my health and great for outdoor breathing. Sunshine. Time to appreciate nature’s gifts that we get so busy we forget about sometimes.”
Brugh and others like her are on to something.
The benefits of walking have long been known. But a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests they are even greater than had been thought.
Results reinforce the necessity of frequent physical activity for ourselves, especially as we age.
In the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders study, more than 1,600 people aged 70 to 89 were split into two groups, one devoted to an exercise program including a daily regimen of walking and the other to an education program about healthy aging, with only limited physical activity. Participants in both groups were not physically active before the trial.
The study found people in the walking group 28 percent less likely to have suffered a disability during the trial than those in the education group, and they were 18 percent less likely to have any disability. It was one of the largest studies to look at how walking can improve health in the elderly or keep them healthy longer.
And according to the American Heart Association, the benefits of walking include reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, improving blood pressure and blood sugar levels; improving blood lipid profile; maintaining body weight and lowering the risk of obesity, enhancing mental well-being, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, reducing the risk of breast and colon cancer; reducing the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes.
In Vero Beach, there are plenty of great places to walk – the beach, the boardwalk, the bridges, even the sidewalk along A1A. There are also plenty of fitness clubs and recreation centers where people can jump on a treadmill and get the gams moving.
If scenery and convenience aren’t enough to motivate a person to walk, a Stanford University study may. The recent study indicated that creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter. The study found that walking indoors or outdoors similarly boosted creativity, and that creativity levels were significantly higher – on average 60 percent – for those walking compared to those sitting.
Marieke Dam, physical therapist at Indian River Medical Center, says the benefits from walking are “major when it comes down to every system in the body.”
Walking helps with the respiratory system and the digestive system, for example. “Things start to move … every system is effected with ambulation, for the better,” she said.
Walking prevents atrophy in the muscles, helps with posture and the prevention of secondary issues such as pneumonia, skin breakdown that can occur from lying or sitting in the same position too long, and prevents blood clots, also called deep vein thrombosis.
“Movement and walking is fantastic and facilitates us getting going,” she added. “It helps with flexibility in the muscles and with strengthening of muscles in the lower extremities. It builds up endurance which helps with overall health and longevity.”
Kevin Caldabaugh, John’s Island fitness director, says walking is a common choice among its members. Some prefer to walk inside on a treadmill with air conditioning and a television set to watch; others prefer being out in the elements. Some rise early to beat the heat to get their walk in.
“Walking is good for productivity,” he said. “It is good for brain health, it reduces chances of stroke, stress, strengthens bones and increases longevity.”
Any moderate form of exercise will slow the aging process, boost the mood, increase balance and coordination and improve posture. “It plays into living a longer life.”
Besides, he adds, walking is extremely accessible. “For anybody, if you have two legs and are not in pain, walking is a great form of exercise.”
There are other types of exercise people consider more painful, more strenuous. You don’t have to exert yourself like you do in running, and there’s less pounding on the joints.
“It’s a great form of exercise, and for a lot of people it can be a gateway to other forms of exercise as well,” Caldabaugh adds. “And anytime a person is axially loading or providing longitudinal force through the skeletal structure, the bones will respond and grow stronger.”
In the past John’s Island has organized 5k walks, as has Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club. Recently, Orchid Island held a 5k walk that included members’ pets.
Many informal groups walk the Orchid property for exercise and socialization. Many members walk to their fitness sessions or to the fitness center as part of their workout program.
“Dog walks have been a fun new addition to the offering of events at Orchid,” said Denise Duda, Director of Fitness, Wellness and Spa at Orchid Island. “It is a great way to meet other members who share like interests and enjoy the beautiful Florida weather while getting cardiovascular exercise for both the pet and the owner.”
Carolyn Guy, who lives in The Moorings, is now an avid walker after years of playing tennis and eventually being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2001. She got motivated when she saw an ad for a 3-day, 60 mile walk to raise money for a cause. “I was determined to not sit around and feel sorry for myself,” she recalled.
She walks 3 miles, 4 days a week unless she is training for a 5k or 10k event in which case she bumps up her mileage to 6 miles each time.
“It gives me a goal and keeps me walking plus I raise money for a good cause so I’m helping other people while I’m walking,” she said.
At 64 years old, she sees the value of keeping herself moving. “It keeps the weight off. It’s an obsession. I don’t feel as good if I don’t walk for a few days. My skin doesn’t glow. I feel sluggish and I don’t sleep as well.”
Besides, it’s a convenient form of exercise. “All you need is a good pair of shoes and sweat band around your head!” she said.
Brugh also used to be a tennis player. But after having a hip replacement, eliminated the sport from her regimen.
“I thought, ‘I’ll just go outside and start walking,’” she said. “I didn’t have enough to fill my early morning hours. I found the more I walked, the better I felt. And that gave me the desire to go out the next day to walk again.”
