Walking Is Healthier Than Running

A new book called Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement explains how the need for us to move naturally is built right into our genes. But guess what? It doesn’t need to–anybody who sits in a chair eight hours a day looking at a screen knows that it’s not good for you. That your body wasn’t built to do that. So author and biomechanist Katy Bowman doesn’t have a hard sell convincing us that something’s wrong–that our current sedentary activities and our natural needs don’t match up. But what to do about it?

First of all, forget exercise. (Not entirely, but bear with us.) Replace the word exercise in your mind with the word movement. Basically you’ve got to keep moving. You don’t have to run marathons, or even 5Ks, but you may as well park as far as you can from the mall–and can you move your arms a little while you stand and watch TV? Good. You’re on your way. And you know what’s really very good for you? Walking. You’re built to do it. Not only is walking good for your heart, lungs, and muscles, it’s great for your brain, which craves the movement. Bowman told Business Insider that “walking is a superfood.” One reviewer at Amazon says about Move Your DNA, “it will help you make simple changes that have big pay-offs for your health. It’s like finally getting the owner’s manual to your body in an incredibly helpful, understandable and humorous package.”