What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Janet Rapp strode briskly down a paved path through the city zoo, waving at friends and stopping briefly to greet emus she knows by name.

The 71-year-old retiree starts each morning this way with a walking club.

“I’m obsessed,” she said. Not only does it ease her joint pain, “it just gives me energy … And then it calms me, too.”

Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.

“You don’t need equipment and you don’t need a gym membership,” said Dr. Sarah Eby, a sports medicine physician with Mass General Brigham. “And the benefits are so vast.”

Walking can help meet the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendation that adults get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. This helps lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer.

Walking also improves blood sugar levels, is good for bone health and can help you lose weight and sleep better, added Julie Schmied, a nurse practitioner with Norton Healthcare, which runs the free Get Healthy Walking Club.

Another advantage? It’s a low-impact exercise that puts less pressure on joints as it strengthens your heart and lungs.

James Blankenship, 68, said joining the walking club at the Louisville Zoo last year helped him bounce back after a heart attack and triple bypass in 2022.

“My cardiologist says I’m doing great,” he said.

For all its benefits, however, walking “is not enough for overall health and well-being” because it doesn’t provide resistance training that builds muscle strength and endurance, said Anita Gust, who teaches exercise science at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

That's especially important for women’s bone health as they age.

Experts recommend adding such activities at least twice weekly – using weights, gym equipment or your own body as resistance — and doing exercises that improve flexibility like yoga or stretching.

Nearly everyone has heard about this walking goal, which dates back to a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan. But experts stress that it’s just a guideline.

The average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day and it's fine to gradually work up to 10,000, Shmied said.

Setting a time goal can also be useful. Shmied suggests breaking the recommended 150 minutes per week into 30 minutes a day, or 10 minutes three times a day, for five days. During inclement weather, people can walk in malls or on treadmills.

As they become seasoned walkers, they can speed up the pace or challenge themselves with hills while still keeping the activity level moderate.

“If you can talk but not sing,” Eby said, “that’s what we consider moderate-intensity exercise.”

Walking with friends – including dogs – is one way.

Walking clubs have popped up across the nation. In 2022, New York personal trainer Brianna Joye Kohn, 31, started City Girls Who Walk with a TikTok post inviting others to walk with her.

“We had 250 girls show up,” she said.

Since then, the group has walked every Sunday for around 40 minutes, with some meeting afterward for brunch or coffee.

The Louisville Zoo launched its walking club in 1987, partnered with Norton in 2004 to expand it, and now boasts more than 15,000 registered members. Every day from March 1 through Oct. 31, people walk around and around the 1.4-mile loop before the zoo officially opens.

Tony Weiter meets two of his siblings every Friday. On a recent morning, they caught up on each other’s lives as they zipped past zebras in a fenced field and a seal sunning itself.

“I enjoy the serenity of it. It’s cold but the sun is shining. You get to see the animals,” said Weiter, 63. “It’s a great way to start the morning.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk a path past the giraffe enclosure during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

From left, Lou Ann Parrino, Lisa Weisert, and Janie Reinert, members of the Get Healthy Walking Club pause during their morning walk to say good morning to one of the animals at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

A member of the Get Healthy Walking Club walks past the rhinoceros exhibit in the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the early morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Janet Rapp, a member of the Get Healthy Walking Club stands in front of the zebra enclosure during the early morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk a path past the giraffe enclosure during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

From left, Lou Ann Parrino, Lisa Weisert, and Janie Reinert, members of the Get Healthy Walking Club pause during their morning walk to say good morning to one of the animals at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

A member of the Get Healthy Walking Club walks past the rhinoceros exhibit in the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the early morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Janet Rapp, a member of the Get Healthy Walking Club stands in front of the zebra enclosure during the early morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk the paths past the animal enclosures during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 14, 2024--

Bioptimus, a leading AI company building the Foundation Model for biology, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mathilda Strom as its Founding Chief Operating Officer. Mathilda joins Bioptimus with an extensive track record in building pioneering businesses and a reputation as a leader in scaling impactful organizations globally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241114805370/en/

With nearly 20 years of experience, Mathilda brings an entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision to Bioptimus. Most recently, she served as the Chief Commercial Officer at CarbonPool, the world’s first insurance company to settle claims in carbon credits rather than cash.

Mathilda is no stranger to launching transformative companies. She co-founded BIMA, a microinsurance and digital health player in emerging markets. Under her leadership, BIMA expanded to 23 countries, enabling millions of low- and middle-income families to access critical financial and health services via mobile technology. Throughout her tenure, she forged deep-rooted partnerships with major global players, including Telefonica, Orange, Vodafone, Allianz, and Prudential, further cementing her reputation as an influential leader in the industry.

Beyond her executive experience, Mathilda has served on the boards of organizations like the Microinsurance Network and Azuri Technologies, a renewable energy firm working to bring solar solutions to Africa. She has earned recognition as one of the top 50 female entrepreneurs to watch and among the top 10 future women leaders in Sweden.

As Bioptimus’s new Chief Operating Officer, Mathilda Strom will oversee strategic operations, enhance organizational growth, and drive the company’s mission to fuel breakthroughs in biomedicine and beyond. Her proven expertise in building high-impact, purpose-driven ventures positions her to lead Bioptimus through its next phase of innovation and expansion.

David Cahané, Co-Founder of Bioptimus, said: ""We are thrilled to welcome Mathilda to Bioptimus as our Founding Chief Operating Officer. Her visionary leadership and track record in scaling impactful businesses align perfectly with our mission to fuel breakthrough discoveries and accelerate innovations in biomedicine and beyond. Mathilda’s expertise and commitment to innovation will be invaluable as we build the Foundation Model for biology to unlock the potential of generative AI in the field. We are excited to have her on board to help shape the future of our company.”

Mathilda Strom joins Bioptimus as Founding Chief Operating Officer (Photo: Business Wire)