Walking is one of the most common movements humans perform every day.

It involves a coordinated effort of muscles, joints, and balance to maintain an upright posture while propelling ourselves forward.

With these interesting facts about walking, let us learn more about its benefits and other associated things.

1.
Around 4,000 steps are enough to reap the health benefits of walking.
Despite doctors recommending people take 6,000 to 10,000 steps daily, research shows that you can still be healthy even if you just take 2,500 to 4,000 steps per day.
Besides improving heart health and increasing life expectancy, walking more can reduce your chances of high blood pressure, diabetes, and even cancer!

2.
Some well-known entrepreneurs have adopted walking meetings.
Like Steve Branson and the late Steve Jobs, have done their meetings on foot.
An obvious benefit is that it allows you to work and exercise simultaneously.And another advantage is that walking boosts creativity, which is a pretty big deal since brainstorming is an important factor in meetings.

3.
Sleepwalking is more common in children than adults.
Also known as somnambulism, sleepwalking is a sleep disorder that can be passed on genetically or triggered by certain medications.
Experts say it often happens during our childhood years but eventually stops as we grow into adults.
This explains why 5-15% of children experience sleepwalking annually, while only 1-1.5% of adults do.

4.
Each human has a unique and identifiable walking pattern termed as a gait. Because of its uniqueness, a person's gait can be used to identify themself just like a fingerprint.

5.
George Meegan (UK) walked 30,431 km (19,019 miles) in a journey that took him from the southernmost point of South America, at Ushuaia, Argentina, to the northernmost point of North America, at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, USA, taking 2,426 days from January 26, 1977, and finished over six years later on September 18, 1983.

6.
Some insects can walk on water.
How they're able to walk on water boils down to their long and thin legs, which are hydrophobic, thereby repelling water and creating a buoyant effect.
These mesmerizing insects belong to the Gerridae family and are commonly referred to as water striders or pond skaters.
Most gerrids are found in freshwater, but a genus called Halobates is an exception since they can be found in saltwater.

7.
Researchers at universities in the U.S. and Netherlands discovered that people use 12% more energy when they don't swing their arms while walking.
And when we sway our arms in sync with our legs, we also use more energy – 26% more, to be specific!

8.
The American Heart Association (AHA) created National Walking Day in 2007 to promote the many health benefits of walking.
National Walking Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday of April.

9.
Singapore has the fastest walkers in the world.
Research from the Pace of Life Project in 2007 found that Singapore stands out the most.

10.
Walking can improve academic performance.
Simply put, exercise makes your brain perform better by increasing the blood flow to your brain.

11.
Walking is an Olympic sport.
That sport is called race walking, and it has been an Olympic sport since 1904.

12.
Walking is great for your mental health.
It's because not only does it reduce stress levels, but it also improves our mood and cognition!

13.
Walking can also be a form of meditation.
Walking meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation practiced all over the world. At its core, walking meditation is simply bringing your attention to your feet, your body and the ground below you and focusing your mind on what it feels like to walk. It's easy, requires no special equipment and can be worked into your everyday life.

14.
According to psychologists, you take up more space when you walk with larger steps, implying not only confidence but also authority.
On the other hand, walking faster doesn't exude confidence because it makes you appear more anxious.

15.
Hindus have a festival wherein they walk on fire.
It's celebrated during October and November and is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Draupati Amman.
Thimithi festival is a firewalking ceremony that originated in Tamil Nadu in southern India and is now celebrated in different countries with Tamil people, like Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa.
Celebrants of Thimithi perform a ritual of walking across hot coals, which they believe to be a way of proving their faith.

Sources
Healthline - 4000 steps a day / CNBC / Cleveland Clinic - Sleepwalking / ScienceABC / Cleveland Clinic - Gait disorders / Guinness World Records / Wikipedia - Gerridae / Reuters / National Day Calendar / Secrets in Singapore / Harvard Health Publishing / Olympics / National Library of Medicine / Healthline - Walking meditation / Very Well Mind / Wikipedia - Thimithi / Mental Health Foundation / The Fact Site