A study found big benefits from short walks. I tried it for a week

A version of this post was first published in WBUR's weekly health newsletter, CommonHealth. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox,that found taking a five-minute walk every 30 minutes appeared to reduce some of the negative effects of sitting in front of a computer all day — improving blood pressure and blood sugar, or glucose, levels. It made headlines. Heck, NPR even created a

But the idea wouldn’t get out of my head. Why had I dismissed it so quickly? What if regular mini walks were the norm? I decided to give them a try, for one week. It seemed like a low bar for entry. . By 11 a.m., I was ready to stop delaying. It was hot, but I was undeterred. I slathered on some sunscreen and headed for the door.

But day two felt a little easier. Maybe my body just needs to acclimate, I thought. At this point, I had three walking routes of about five minutes each, so I didn’t need to time myself anymore. The variety also helped me avoid boredom. I was getting the breaks in, most of the time. And the weather was significantly cooler and dryer that day, which helped quite a bit.

On the best days, I got familiar with the dog walkers and strollers around the neighborhood. There were more of them than I expected! I listened to the chirping of cardinals and house finches, and breathed in the smell of spring flowers and freshly laid mulch. I imagined I felt the mental benefits some study participants described. Maybe I could even keep this up beyond a week, I thought, and tried to picture how that might work.

In the afternoons, I often felt tired, especially if I’d gone for a jog or spent time at the gym before work. When I decided to stop the walks at 5 p.m., it was a relief to work without interruption.

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