7 Tips To Optimize Your Walks & Improve Healthspan All At Once
Walking is fundamental to human health. It's as essential for our body as breathing and sleeping, but most people aren't thinking about it enough, says Courtney Conley, D.C., a chiropractic physician, founder of Gait Happens, and co-author of the new book Walk.
"I want people to start thinking of walking as a physiological necessity, not simply as a form of exercise," she explained on a recent episode of the mindbodygreen podcast.
In our conversation, she also outlined the tweaks to your walking mechanics that can make every step more efficient. And shared how walking can unlock health benefits you didn't even know you were leaving on the table.
1. Swing your arms
Walking is all about rotation, and letting your arms swing naturally helps power this rotation.
"When our body is swinging, we create free energy, which makes it easy for us to walk for long distances," Conley says.
If you notice you're holding your arms stiff or only swinging one side, that's a sign your gait could use some work. Conley recommends walking poles as a tool to encourage that natural rotation if you're having trouble finding it on your own.
2. Walk taller
Elongate your spine while you walk. It's a simple cue with major payoff.
"You want to be tall when you walk," Conley explains. "When you start sinking into your body, you actually change your stride lengths and you make it harder on yourself."
When you stretch your fascia (the connective tissue that wraps around your muscles) by standing tall, you get more of that "free return" energy. Think of it like pulling back a rubber band: the stretch gives you momentum without extra effort. Slouching robs you of that efficiency.
3. Walk softer
Heavy footfalls are a red flag. If you can hear yourself coming from a mile away, your mechanics need attention.
"When someone has that heavy foot strike, the easiest cue is just walk softer," Conley says.
Walking softer naturally brings your foot closer to your center of mass, which sets you up for better shock absorption. It's a simple mental cue that leads to a cascade of mechanical improvements.
4. Graze your heel
Unlike running, walking gait should involve a heel strike. And not the aggressive, reaching kind you might be picturing.
Conley explains that if you're told to lightly graze your heel on the ground, you instinctively bring your foot close to your center of mass, which also helps you land more softly.
That soft heel contact initiates pronation, the natural inward roll of your foot that begins the shock absorption process. This creates a chain of positive effects throughout your body, but it only works when you're not overstriding.
5. Roll the earth away
After your heel grazes the ground, the foot should roll smoothly across the ball of the foot and push through the big toe.
Conley teaches her patients to visualize "rolling the earth away" behind them. "You're grazing your heel, your foot unlocks, and then it's almost like you're rolling the earth behind you," she says.
Think of this pattern occurring across your feet: outside heel, across the ball of the foot, through the big toe. You want to see this reflected in the wear pattern on your shoes.
6. Aim for a brisk pace
If you want to maximize the health benefits of walking, pace matters.
Conley says there is lots of research saying you can reduce the risk of multiple different types of cancers by walking for 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace. That's about 130 to 135 steps per minute.
You can track this with a fitness watch, your phone, or simply by counting steps by the minute until you get a feel for the rhythm.
If you want to pump up the cardiovascular strain too, add a weighted vest or tackle some hills. You'll find your heart rate climbing into zone two territory quickly.
7. Walk 15 minutes after meals
Timing your walks around meals is one of the most underutilized health hacks out there.
"There's great research looking at taking a 15 minute walk after you eat," Conley says. That might not sound like much, but those three short walks are equivalent to a 45 minute walk.
This timing is so important because it helps control blood sugar. After eating, glucose floods your bloodstream. You have two systems to clear it: your pancreas and movement. "If we sit after we eat, we're only utilizing our pancreas to get the glucose out of our bloodstream," Conley explains. "But when you go take a walk, you're now taking advantage of both of those systems."
Even if you can't get outside, moving around your house for a few minutes after a meal counts. "Something is better than nothing," Conley says.
The takeaway
Small shifts in how and when you walk can add up to meaningful changes in how you feel. Start with one cue, like swinging your arms more intentionally or squeezing in a walk after dinner.
Regardless of what cues you want to integrate into your routine, do what you can to take advantage of walking. It's one of the best, most accessible tools we have for our health.