About this episode

Courtney Conley discusses the importance of walking as a fundamental aspect of health and its various benefits.

"I want people to start thinking of walking as a physiological necessity, not simply as a form of exercise,” explains Courtney Conley, D.C. Conley is a renowned foot and gait specialist, chiropractic physician, and founder of Gait Happens and Total Health Solutions clinic and Total Health Performance gym in Lakewood, She is a founding member of the Healthy Foot Alliance and coauthor of Walk, a new book about the power of walking. 0:00 - Walking is fundamental 03:34 - Debunking 10,000 steps 05:37 - The power of a microwalk 08:15 - Steps vs heart rate 09:46 - Weighted vests & step counters 13:26 - Walking to reset the nervous system 16:07 - The 15-minute post-meal walk 19:53 - How walking unlocks teenagers 22:41 - Why uneven terrain matters 26:55 - The mechanics of good walking 32:15 - Calluses are good for you 34:00 - Conley’s favorite footwear 37:08 - Why you should lift barefoot Referenced in the episode: Find Conley at her website: ⁠https://www.drcourtneyconley.com/⁠ Buy her book here: ⁠https://a.co/d/0eEvaiGi⁠ Study on how brisk walking reduces cancer risk (2025): ⁠https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12885-025-14258-x⁠ Study on how 5,000 steps a day reduces depression…

Topics covered

• walking
• health optimization
• exercise
• foot health
• gait analysis
• mental health
• physiological necessity

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