Forms of exercise

There was a recent discussion about whether walking is a good form of exercise. It is certainly a type of physical activity, but it isn't a panacea. Running and walking are those types of activities which do not require any additional equipment, but it does require a location where carrying out those activities can be done without unforseen risk.

I have always enjoyed a good walk. I used to be considered rather slow as a kid, probably because being the youngest, I needed to keep up with adults and/or people taller than me. Of course once I started taking up various sports consistently and seriously, the need to be fast became important. The repetition made it part of how I go about my life. Also having grown up in various urban areas, crowds tend to move at a moderate/fast pace. Otherwise, you quickly learn you are a bottleneck to the flow of the crowd at the risk of dirty looks being thrown at you, or you get jostled and jolted along the way. So your only option is to walk at the same speed as the other pedestrians.

Nowadays, due to my current lifestyle, I take having to walk as an opportunity to fill in some of the hours of exercise necessary to keep healthy. Even on routes without a crowd informing the speed, I purposefully walk at a fast pace to try and increase my pulse rate. However, do these walking trips provide all the exercise necessary for a complete work out? No, of course not. Especially when it is on a levelled hard ground, you don't get much variation and the surface can cause joint issues. Hiking along a nature trail is better, because the soil makes for a softer surface, and the topography works different muscles.

Even professional athletes get their physical training through various sources: practice sessions, cardio drills, strength training for various muscle groups, etc. This is exactly the same with diet: a balanced diet is necessary to obtain all the types of minerals and nutrients, which the body uses to maintain itself. There isn't only one food group which provides all of the variety required. Simultaneously, as everyone's bodies are different, the combination of nutrients and minerals, and exercise routine required for optimal health outcomes are going to vary. The medical community have something called personalised medicine, which now also includes finding out your biomarkers. The concept of personalised medicine is a good one, but it is obviously costly, and it still includes trial and error. However, keeping in your mind that what works for your personal situation is going to differ from the generalist advice people receive, is a good initial step to not be disappointed when you don't obtain the results at the timeline mentioned. The other thing to perhaps understand, is to not expect to have cheap personalised medical services. I haven't done such comprehensive tests; I try to follow the generalist advice first, try different things and understand my body's reaction, before consulting the medical professional. The more you listen and are in tune with your body, the more effective it is for your health outcomes. Again, this is just my opinion, and a brief description of my personal health journey.