Foot notes: Why hacks, tools, and trends take the joy out of walking
Walking, once a simple pleasure, is now over-complicated by trends. Experts say to enjoy it without the fuss—just step outside and move!
Once upon a time, walking was considered a top-tier workout. Simple, pleasurable, uncomplicated. Even a toddler and your grandma could pull it off. It needed no gear other than a pair of shoes (and for Milind Soman, even that was optional). Doctors loved it. Fitness experts approved too.
Then, hustle culture came for walking. Merely putting one foot in front of the other wasn’t enough, apparently. One had to optimise their movement with ankle and wrist weights. There were Nordic poles for stability, a new Afghan breathing technique, step counters, desk treadmills, something called the 6-6-6 rule (which Satan didn’t invent). Now, there are silent walks, forest bathing walks, mindful walks and Chi walks. This was our last honest pleasure. Did it really need a glow-up?
Not really, says dietitian Richa Sharma, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at AAFT university, Raipur. “While it may not look intense, plain and simple walking checks so many boxes. Just 30 minutes of brisk walking a day improves your heart and bone health, metabolism, digestion, posture and mood. That’s a lot from just putting one foot in front of the other! I tell people to forget the fancy gear. Just step outside and let your legs do the work. It’s free.”
To be fair, the add-ons boost fitness. Using those Nordic ski-poles can help burn 20% more calories on the same walk, and release neck and shoulder tension. But for that, you must be willing to ruin a perfectly good stroll. Afghan walking is inspired by that region’s nomads. Inhale for 3 steps, hold for 1 step, exhale for 3 steps, hold for 1 step – all for the ability to walk farther. But you’ll be stuck counting 3-1-3-1 the whole time.
Chi walking claims to clench your core and straighten your spine. Walking treadmills let you move at 3am when it’s raining outside, but also through an already torturous Zoom meeting.
Let numbers ruin a good thing more. There’s a 6-6-6 rule (60 minutes of walking at 6 am and 6 pm, with a 6-minute warm-up and cool-down) and a 12-3-30 treadmill walk (at a 12% incline, 3 miles per hour for 30 minutes). Or a walk birthed by social media. TikTok’s Hot Girl Walk is sold as a “transformational inner journey”: Walk four walk 4 miles every day, look pretty, listen to a motivational podcast, and think about your goals. What a drag.
Obviously we’re going to hate on the 10K step trend. The OG idea was to walk 10,000 steps through the day (which included all your trips to the fridge and farsan tin). It devolved into us trying to hit 10K steps on every walk. It’s only now that we’re realising that the number had no science to back it up. It was just a ’60s marketing gimmick by a Japanese pedometer company. Still, it’s not a bad goal, says Gautam Athan, fitness coach and athlete from Bengaluru. “But if you already work out, play a sport, or stay active, you don’t need to chase 10K steps. And there’s no point putting so much pressure on yourself. While numbers can be a great way to measure fitness, some people get demotivated if they don’t meet a high target. So, it’s better to enjoy walking at your own pace.”
So forget the numbers, the Nordics, the nonsense. Go out and walk. Be consistent. As long as you’re putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying it, you’re doing it right.
From HT Brunch, May 3, 2025
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