Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Reduce your loneliness, improve your well-being, and take the first step

Paula Rochon, MD
Conditions
April 18, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

Just before the pandemic, I walked 96 miles (154.5 km) in seven days on the West Highland Way in Scotland, though I was hardly alone in this endeavor. About 250 people start the walk each day, including the amazing group of primary women that I walked with, indicative of both the attraction of the trail and the popularity of this form of physical activity.

All types of people were walking. There were young people and old people, some fit and some not so obviously so. The walk was exhilarating and at the same time hard and very long. Much of the great feeling of satisfaction I had at the end of every day was the feeling of achievement at having physically and emotionally pushed my own limits.

This trip made me think about walking in a way that I had never truly done before, and how this simple activity could play such an important role in our daily health and well-being, particularly given the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

As a geriatrician and researcher focusing on women and aging, I am often asked by women what we can do to age well. While there is no fountain of youth, no pill to keep you young, or single answer on how to promote social connections, there are common sense things that can be done to promote health and well-being and reduce loneliness. Walking is one of them.

What I came to realize during my long walk was that by walking, you not only improve your physical function but also create social connections that reduce loneliness. Walking is a social sport, even if you do it alone, you inevitably meet people along the way.

Steps matter to health. While we often hear about the benefit of 10,000 steps, a study of older women from the Women’s Health Study found that taking 4,400 steps or more per day was linked to lower mortality compared to women taking about half as many steps per day.

Yet, women walk less than men.

Loneliness is an issue that we have all experienced during COVID-19, but one that has been particularly challenging for older women. Women make up the majority of Canada’s almost seven million older adults. Older women are more likely than older men to live alone, and more than 40 percent of these women report being lonely. The former U.S. Surgeon General has equated the health impact of loneliness to the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

During the pandemic, walking has become an even more attractive option because it is usually done outdoors, reducing the chance of transmitting infection, providing an opportunity to meet with friends more safely. It’s also inexpensive. You need a pair of walking shoes, and you can start from your front door.

So, what are you waiting for? Reduce your loneliness, improve your well-being – and take the first step.

Paula Rochon is a geriatrician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

What do we do with our sadness and anger?

April 18, 2022 Kevin 0
…
Next

Looking across the glass door: a COVID-19 vigil

April 18, 2022 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Geriatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
What do we do with our sadness and anger?
Next Post >
Looking across the glass door: a COVID-19 vigil

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Paula Rochon, MD

  • A geriatrician’s transformative walk in Italy

    Paula Rochon, MD
  • Start walking to improve health and well-being

    Paula Rochon, MD

Related Posts

  • Improve Medicaid with these simple steps

    Arvind Cavale, MD
  • USMLE Step 1 pass/fail winners and losers

    Aamir Hussain, MD
  • 6 ways physicians can improve their LinkedIn profile

    Health eCareers
  • Medical schools should improve long-term career counseling

    Akhilesh Pathipati, MD
  • There is no place for USMLE Step 2 CS during a pandemic

    Anna Goshua
  • A specific way to improve our health care delivery system

    Lea Lefkowitz

More in Conditions

  • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

    Kara Wada, MD
  • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

    Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH
  • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

    Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD
  • How one unforgettable ER patient taught a nurse about resilience

    Kristen Cline, BSN, RN
  • Why regular exercise is the best prescription for lifelong health

    George F. Smith, MD
  • When the weight won’t budge: the hidden physiology of grief, stress, and set point

    Sarah White, APRN
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...