9 Fun Facts about Walking

Our friends at 99 Walks know a thing or two about walking. Every month, hundreds of women who want to get moving sign up and join them for a walking challenge, and end up falling in love with the supportive community, daily inspiration, and the gorgeous, wearable inspiration they receive after crushing their goals.  

But they also know how to have fun!

Here are nine of their favorite fun facts about walking:

1. You need to walk 25 steps to burn off 1 blueberry and about 11 miles to burn off a box of macaroni and cheese.
2. Want to burn more calories? Try walking sideways, which burns 78 percent more calories than walking forward.
3. The average walking speed for the typical adult is about 3 miles per hour. If you're walking to the beat of "Shut Up and Dance," you're cruising along at 3.5 mph. At this speed, it would take you about 17 minutes to walk one mile. 
4. Your walking shoes will last somewhere between 300-500 miles (unless you’re a kid, in which case your feet will probably outgrow them first!).
5. Walking on a rough but level outdoor surface requires 50 percent more energy than walking on a paved road.
6. The first woman to walk around the world was Polly Letofsky, an American who completed her trek in 1999, walking over 14,000 miles on foot. 
7. Walking can actually be considered a full-body exercise. While the forward motion comes from the legs, your arms and core are at work too. In total, it requires 200 muscles to take one step.
8. Walking makes you more creative. Research shows that people who are up and moving in nature are more creative than those sitting down indoors. Albert Einstein walked 1.5 miles to Princeton University each day and Darwin took three 45 minute walks each day.
9. Walking briskly for one mile in 15 minutes burns approximately the same amount of calories as jogging the same distance in 8 minutes.

Looking for someone to walk with? Join the 99 Walks September challenge and earn the necklace pictured below for walking 33 miles. You’ll be healthier, happier and glad you did! Learn more at 99walks.fit.