Walking is a simple yet powerful way to improve overall health. It boosts blood circulation, enhances lymphatic drainage, and strengthens the immune system, reducing the severity of illnesses. Regular walking also has mental health benefits, alleviating depression by calming the brain’s emotional centers and promoting a positive mindset. Just 20–30 minutes a day can make a significant difference in physical and mental well-being.

In addition to improving health, walking can help reshape the body, especially when done briskly or on inclines. It serves as a great starting point for a fitness journey, leading to functional exercises like squats and step-ups that build strength and coordination. Simple at-home workouts using body weight or household items can further enhance fitness without requiring a gym.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:01 – Introduction to the Benefits of Walking

01:05 – Mental Health Benefits

02:08 – Daily Walking Recommendations

02:32 – Impact on Fitness and Body Shape

04:03 – Simple At-Home Exercises

05:47 – Conclusion

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:00:00] And getting your steps in is really important. And no matter what your fitness level is or your age, this is something everyone can do. So how can it boost your health and what else can you do to boost your health? We speak to Dr. Matt Chalmers. He is a chiropractor and the author of Pillars of Wellness. Good morning. Good to see you. So first of all, walking is a great and easy way to stay healthy, right? So what are the benefits of taking regular walks and how does it impact our body?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:33] There are several different reasons why it impacts the body. One of the big things is that it gets the blood flowing in, the lymphatics flowing. Those facts are kind of the sewer system of the body. And so getting those things moving around is really important. You don’t want that stuff sitting still. The other big thing is that it sends a lot of information to the brain, and that movement helps kind of settle down the temporal lobe, which is all the amygdala is the fear, hate, anger, terror, depression. So it helps really alleviate depressive function. So getting out and walking is going to be not only beneficial to the mind, but also beneficial to the immune system in the whole body.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:01:05] So tell me more about those, what that exactly means. You just mentioned the lymphatics. You did touch on depression. So what does that mean? How does it change our everyday lives and how we feel?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:18] So the more we exercise and the more we get the lymphatics cleaned out, the less of a chance we’re going to end up getting sick. So colds and flu and that sort of thing with they do impact us, don’t impact us nearly as badly. We can also there’s a there’s a big function in oxygenation to the tissue, to the body. So it’s going to help keep everything kind of functional and young and not let it break out as easily. But one of the biggest things we know about fighting depression is exercise. And movement is probably the number one way to reduce actual clinical depression. Just getting up and moving helps change a lot of function in the brain. It activates the cerebellum that activate, which is balance and coordination that activates the frontal lobe so we can make sense of all that. And when it’s doing that, it makes the temporal lobe. Like I said, we’re all the kind of crazy stuff happened to be exact kind of cone down. And so we just we focus on things that are more positive, more functional.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:02:08] Great. So how long should and how long and how often should we go out to take those walks?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:15] If we can do it every day for even 20 to 30 minutes, it would be a fantastic benefit to everybody’s health, mental health and overall function. So, you know, and that doesn’t have to be running. You have to be really fast. Just get out and move for 20 or 30 nights and it’s substantially beneficial all the way around to your health.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:02:32] Sometimes I could just mean, you know, walk to the bus or walk to work or something like that. So in terms of looks, could it change the way our body shape shapes our our bodies look as well?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:44] Absolutely. Especially if you’re choosing to rock rock a little bit faster pace, you’re choosing to walk uphill or up the stairs. There’s a lot of different things that you can get functionally changed in your body by doing that. We have a lot of our patients, some of our diabetics and things like that, that as we’re starting off their wellness journey, I’m like, just walk. And then as they get used to walking, we can walk a little bit faster and make you start doing squats and then we can start building upon that function. But it’s always best to sort of somewhere and this 100% can lead to massive changes in the way you are.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:03:16] All right. So it sounds like it’s a good starting point. So where should it lead us? What other exercises should people consider?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:03:24] So normally when we start building these up, we start with functional exercises. So, you know, you’re going to have to stand up, you’re going to climb stairs, you have to pick things off the counter. So, you know, squats I love to do single leg squats or step ups because that builds that entire balance coordination chain, you know, picking up jugs of water so we can build up the biceps and you’re reaching up top so we can get the deltoids and that sort of thing moving so we can do all the things we need to do in our lives, like grab the plates off the top shelf, you know, stand up from the toilet, stand up from a chair, sit down gently on a chair. These are all really important things we need to do throughout our life. So the more we do them in an exercise form, the easier and the longer we’re gonna be able to do them in life.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:04:03] Yeah, I love that. So can you tell me a bit more about some of those easily accessible ways to train or not? Just trying to just to stay fit.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:04:13] You don’t need a gym. And everyone’s like, Well, I can’t get to the gym. I’m like, okay, all right, great. You know, how about you do stand up and do bodyweight squats, like go find a short wall or a box and do step ups on that. You know, you can pick up bottles of water and move them around. You can pick up, you know, everybody has something that weighs 5 or 10 pounds around them. That’s a lot of that’s a giant amount of weight for the shoulder. And so, like, we have a lot of people, I just have to give them a one liter bottle of water, which is a kilogram, which is 2.2 pounds. And I say take that and raise it above your head and then come back down with it. And that helps build up this ability to reach up and do things. So you just find things around your house and you’re like, this has a little bit half to it, and then take it through a natural range of motion. And as you do that, it’ll start building up that your body’s ability to do that under load.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:05:00] Yeah, sounds easy enough. So how would you go about, you know, slowly increasing the amount and the intensity of those exercises in a sustainable way?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:05:10] So this is one of my favorite things to do with people. So as we go through, they’re like, Well, how many reps should I do and when should I go up in weight? So what I have people do is we say, okay, start with 12, and then every time you do 12, try to do one more. And so it’s always kind of hard. But you earned that 13th on that 14th when you get to 15 or 16, go up in weight and go back down to that 12 reps because that way we’re not going to over overstressed the ligaments and tendons and joints, but we’re stressing the muscle tissue, growing the muscle tissue, increasing our range of motion, increasing our function in a safe manner as you slowly build up to ten of them. Then I got to 12, then I got to 15. Then we went up in weight, went back down to ten.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:05:47] That’s great. Building up that strength. And at the same time, challengers keep challenging yourself. Thank you so much, Doctor Matt Chalmers, I think you came just in time for the New Year’s resolutions. Appreciate it.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:05:59] Absolutely.

NTD NEWS Host 2 [00:06:01] That’s a really cool interview. And there’s something to be said about chiropractic and walking. Not only does it improve circulation and improve blood pressure, according to Gansu Chiropractic Center, but when you walk, it strengthens your muscles, which helps keep your spine in alignment so you can feel naturally so important.

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:06:19] I think later on we actually have something on posture which can also have some big impacts on how you feel and the pain you might feel or might not feel. So I think that’s a great point. Yeah, Powers.

NTD NEWS Host 2 [00:06:29] Are so important. And you know, I used to see a chiropractor and I would ask him, you know, I can crack my back. Why do I need a chiropractor? He’s like, when you do that, you adjust the vertebrae. That can move naturally, but we adjust the ones that don’t, right?

NTD NEWS Host 1 [00:06:43] Is still see it professional. That sounds scary, to be honest with you. Do not crack your own bones.

As always if you have any questions, please send them to [email protected]

Check out Chalmers Pillarsofwellness.com for Wellness updates! And ask me any questions you have at [email protected]. I answer all of them and look forward to hearing from you.

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Dr. Matt Chalmers

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Before taking any action based on this information you should first consult with your physician or health care provider. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions regarding a medical condition, your health, or wellness