Why Your Feet Are The Most Overlooked Element Of Lifelong Health

Why Your Feet Are The Most Overlooked Element Of Lifelong Health

From The B.rad Podcast by Brad Kearns

March 3, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

In this episode, Brad Kearns interviews Dr. Courtney Conley about the importance of foot health and walking for overall well-being.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Courtney Conley, world renowned foot expert and author of the sensational new book, Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity One Step at a Time . Mark Sisson and I are big fans of Dr. Courtney’s work—there’s so much crossover with what we wrote in  Born to Walk —and she does a beautiful job not just highlighting the wonderful benefits of walking, but getting into the specifics of how to create lifestyle habits so you can put in more steps, strengthen your feet, and rethink concepts like the 10,000-steps-a-day recommendation. We talk about why walking is not exercise, but a physiological necessity—our survival as a species has hinged on one key factor: movement. Dr. Courtney makes the bold case that walking speed should be considered the sixth vital sign, explaining how slower walking pace is predictive of dementia and increased cancer risk, and how simply adding 500 steps to a 2,500-step baseline can reduce all-cause mortality by 7%. We challenge the 10,000-step myth and break down why living in the 5,000–8,500 step range delivers powerful benefits, especially when you…

People in this episode

Host: Brad Kearns

Guest: Dr. Courtney Conley

Topics covered

  • foot health
  • walking benefits
  • lifestyle habits
  • mortality reduction
  • foot strength
  • modern footwear

Keywords

  • foot health
  • walking
  • 10,000 steps
  • mortality
  • foot strength
  • modern footwear
  • movement

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity One Step at a Time, Born to Walk

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