National Walking Day
National Walking Day:
The National Walking Day set on the first Wednesday of the month of April is celebrated annually in appreciation of the use of legs to move from one place to another. As the name suggests, the day encourages men and women alike to engage in active walking.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2022 | 6th April | Wednesday | United States |
2023 | 7th April | Wednesday | United States |
2023 | 8th April | Wednesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalWalkingDay
#WalkingDay
Why National Walking Day?
This special national holiday is appreciated particularly in the United States and encourages men, women, girls, boys, young and old alike to embrace walking every so often. The day comes on the first Wednesday of every month of April and recognizes the easiest and most natural way to promote good health.
If people can walk for approximately 30 minutes a day, this would go a very long way in enabling better health. Research has revealed that walking is very value-adding to the health of an individual, particularly because of its contributions in preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart conditions among other ailments.
This day, therefore, calls to everyone, regardless of their gender and age, to get out of the house or car and stretch their legs for some time in the act of walking. Give your heart a chance to achieve some really valuable pumping, walking will surely add years if not decades to your life. Some of the benefits of walking as proposed by clinicians include the fact that it helps burn or break down accumulated fats from the body, with a specific focus on the areas around the heart, thereby sparing the individual from developing heart conditions.
This is a special day and is even sponsored by the American Heart Association, all in the spirit of reminding people concerning the benefits of taking a walk. The day calls you out to put on your sneakers and engage in progressive walking, either to work or to the park.
How we can observe National Walking Day:
There are many ways through which we can observe or celebrate this health-promoting day. Among them include:
- Post on social media
A social media post will achieve much in helping you recognize this day. To do so, use the handle #NationalWalkingDay and share the hashtag across the various social media platforms you may be signed up to. Some of the social media platforms that you can capitalize on include Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, and Instagram.
- Go out for a 30-minute walk
You can also observe this day by taking the time to go out and walk. The walk could be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as one hour if not more. The walk could also be entirely for leisure or you could walk to work or to the specific destination or errand you would otherwise use a car. Share this experience with those around you, including your friends and family, and insist that they too can join in on the walk while you tell stories and reflect on life.
- Organize a walking schedule with those around you
You can also observe this special day by setting up a session with your family and friends where you take a walk every morning or evening. The walking session should be respected and everyone should strictly follow the time frame you agree on. The person that first breaks the walking schedule or cycle should be penalized.
- Organize for a road campaign
Another way to observe the National Walking Day is by organizing a peaceful and organized match with banners written “National Walking Day”. With such a poster, everyone who passes through the road that you will be matching on will be enlightened about this remarkable day.
Interesting facts about National Walking Day:
Some of the most interesting facts about this exceptional day include, but are not limited to the following:
- According to fossilized footprints, it is very likely that humans were walking similar to how we do today about 1.5 million years ago.
- The 1700s marked the period during which pedestrianism entered the modern lexicon as a popular sport for betting. The bet involved determining who could walk the longest, fastest, and still keep the proper gait.
- In 1904, race walking (now known as walking race) was officially introduced as an Olympic sport. This inauguration followed the advent of pedestrianism’s popularity, in which a “fair heel and toe rule” is established.
- 1965 marked the year when Y. Hatano created a pedometer. This innovation was based on the concept of 10,000 steps a day. The creation is a direct translation of the term manpo-kei.
History of National Walking Day:
The history of this monumental day has been traced to have originated from the American Heart Association. The day was launched in 2007 in an effort to promote healthy living. Since this inauguration, Americans have embraced this tradition, with many people making it their lifestyle to walk to work.