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What's Up Docs?
What's Up Docs?

How does walking benefit you?

August 25, 2026 • 28m

Summary

⏱️ 6 min read

Overview

Chris van Tulleken and Xand van Tulleken take their medical podcast on location to Sheffield Botanical Gardens for a special episode about walking. Joined by sports engineering professor Steve Haworth, they explore the science behind walking, debunk the 10,000 steps myth, and discuss how different types of walks provide varied physical and mental health benefits beyond just cardiovascular fitness.

The Science of Walking: What Happens in Your Body

Steve Haworth explains the biomechanics of walking as a pendulum motion and controlled falling, where you're constantly extending muscles and pumping blood without leaving the ground like in running. He emphasizes that walking is an efficient learned behavior that takes time to master as toddlers and can be lost later in life through balance issues. The government's recommendation of 150 minutes of physical activity per week translates to just two 10-minute walks each day, making it an accessible form of exercise for most people.

  • Walking is a pendulum motion of controlled falling, very different from running where you leave the floor
  • Government recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week, equivalent to two 10-minute walks daily
  • Walking helps with blood pressure, cholesterol control, and other physical health markers that burden the NHS
" Everyone at some point is a pedestrian of some sort, again, either on foot or in a wheelchair. "
" The best exercise is the one that you do. "

Mental Health Benefits and the Green Space Advantage

Beyond physical health, walking provides significant mental health benefits including reduced anxiety, depression, and rumination. Steve describes a Stanford University study comparing urban versus green space walking, which found that 90-minute walks in nature reduced both self-reported rumination and blood flow to the prefrontal cortex associated with negative emotions. The conversation itself demonstrates how walking facilitates different, more relaxed discussions compared to sitting face-to-face.

  • Mental health benefits include reduced anxiety, depression, and rumination
  • Walking conversations are more relaxed and free-flowing because you're not making eye contact
  • Difficult conversations are easier to have while walking rather than sitting face-to-face
" If you can improve someone's quality of life everything else comes along naturally. "
" It's a really good way to do that should we keep walking yes "

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