Walking is a great way to get the body moving and clear the mind — but if you’re doing it wrong, it may do more harm than good.

That’s according to Dr. Milica McDowell, author of the new book “Walk,” a guide to getting the most out of walking.

The Montana-based doctor of physical therapy, who specializes in lower extremity and orthopedics, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital how powerful walking can be.

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“Walking has incredible health benefits for your wellness today and your longevity tomorrow,” she said. “And it’s something that’s at an all-time low since the pandemic.”

“Walking improves every system in your body – gut, musculoskeletal, mental health, your hormones – and so it has an incredible power to help optimize how you’re doing.”

McDowell added that walking is a “phenomenal way” to support a weight-loss journey, as it’s low-impact and low-intensity. It can also boost creativity and reduce stress.

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While the health benefits of walking are evident, McDowell warned of some mistakes that could reverse progress.

No. 1: Walking while scrolling

Escaping our phones can sometimes feel impossible, but if there’s ever a time to be on do-not-disturb, it’s during a walk, according to McDowell.

Walking while scrolling is “really dangerous,” she cautioned, as you’re less aware of your surroundings and more susceptible to accidents.

“You could step in a pothole. You could get hit by a car. You could trip over something. You could bump into someone,” she said. “Walking and scrolling is actually a bit of a public health crisis.”

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Scrolling also puts the neck in a downward position, making the head heavier, which changes your posture “from the top down,” McDowell said. “That can be a problem if you’re someone who struggles with neck pain, back pain or shoulder pain.”

No. 2: Wearing the wrong shoes

McDowell recommends wearing a proper shoe designed specifically for walking to support the feet, promote healthy alignment and protect musculoskeletal health.

The shoe should be “shaped like a foot” so that the toes have room to spread within a wide toe box, she said.

Having space between each toe activates more muscles in the foot and creates a “more healthy walking gait,” according to the expert.

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More than 60% of adults wear the wrong shoe size, according to McDowell, and sizing can vary significantly between brands and manufacturers. She recommends getting measured by a professional to ensure the optimal fit.

No. 3: Not balancing your routine

Walking engages important muscles that support stability and mobility, including the glutes, which help propel the body forward with each step.

But walking shouldn’t be your only form of exercise, experts say. Incorporating strength training and other forms of movement can help prevent overuse injuries, improve balance and build overall fitness.

“A health stack includes drinking enough water, having healthy nutrition and sleeping adequately — and walking can be added to the other activities,” she said.

Pairing walking with activities like weightlifting, pickleball, dancing or CrossFit can help create a more balanced fitness routine, according to McDowell, and are all part of building a strong “health stack.”

“A health stack includes drinking [enough] water, having healthy nutrition, sleeping adequately — and walking can be added to the other activities,” she said.

No. 4: Not considering walking speed

The speed at which we walk may tell us more about our health than we think.

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Walking speed is the sixth vital sign of health, according to McDowell. These clinical measurements also include blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.

If your walking speed begins to decline, this could be a marker of underlying health conditions up to seven years before they occur.

While most people walk at about 90 to 100 steps per minute, translating to about three miles per hour, McDowell suggested increasing your speed to reap “higher level benefits.”

This might mean taking a brisk walk at about 120 to 130 steps per minute, or three and a half to four miles an hour.

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“That can be a place where you get higher level payoff, including more calories burned, if you’re on a weight-loss journey,” she said.

No. 5: Not staying consistent

McDowell emphasized the importance of staying consistent with your walking routine. 

A daily walk will have bigger payoffs than only walking once or twice a week. The expert likened walking to basic hygiene, such as brushing your teeth.

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“Everyone is at different places on their walking journey,” she said. “Don’t set the 10,000 steps per day benchmark. That is a marketing myth … Go ahead and find a step count that works well for you, maybe between 5,500 and 7,500.”

Efficiency is everything

McDowell summed up that each walk should be efficient.

“If you are an efficient walker, you are graceful, you are not wasting energy, you are walking balanced no matter your height, your weight or your age,” she said.

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As the wellness movement has emphasized the importance of just moving, McDowell commented that walking is a “pinnacle activity” in this push.

“People are recognizing that these softer, more consistent activities can provide a lot of benefit for our physical and mental health,” she said.

“You don’t have to go and crush yourself in the gym. You don’t have to be dripping sweat … It’s something you can do for periods of time throughout the day, little ‘snacks’ that all add up, or you can take longer walks depending on what time is available to you.”

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Walking can also be a positive social experience done with friends and loved ones, McDowell noted. This is particularly important for seniors who can benefit from the combined physical activity and social interaction.

“Walking with an older adult can help combat loneliness,” she said. “It can also help improve balance and reaction time, and reduce fall risk.”

Drinking filtered water may extend a person’s life by several months, according to a new study.

The research, published in the American Journal of Health Economics, reveals that being exposed to water filtration systems early in life can significantly increase longevity. By analyzing public health infrastructure shifts from the early 20th century, researchers found that city water filtration alone increased the lifespan of older American men by an average of 3.2 months.

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“While water quality has improved in many areas, this study shows the real impacts to communities without access to safe water, both in the U.S. and globally,” co-author Jason Fletcher, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, said in a press release.

“The consequences on human health are significant.”

The team analyzed data from the Social Security Administration’s Death Master Files. They tracked death records for American men born between 1975 and 2005, mapping each individual’s year and city of birth to historical water filtration records.

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By connecting early-life environments to late-life outcomes, the researchers isolated the lifelong impact of clean water.

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Beyond adding months to a person’s life, the study suggests that clean water in childhood sets off a positive chain reaction for socioeconomic and physical development.

Additional data from mid-20th-century censuses showed that early exposure to filtered water was linked to increased height, higher education and income levels later in life.

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The paper is part of a broader research initiative called the American Mortality Project, which examines how early-life conditions shape the modern American lifespan.

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The researchers exclusively analyzed historical data from American men, meaning the findings may not fully capture how early-life water filtration impacted the long-term longevity, physical growth, or cognitive scores of women from the same era.

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The data is limited to public health infrastructure changes across U.S. cities during a specific window in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Because of this, the exact timeline and magnitude of the lifespan extension (3.2 months) may not directly translate to modern developing nations, rural communities, or areas with different environments.

Researchers have found that changing your diet — even later in life — may slow the aging process in as little as one month.

Researchers from the University of Sydney assigned 104 participants aged 65-75 to one of four diets. Two of the diets were omnivorous and included protein from both animals and plants. Two included 70% of protein from plant sources.

One omnivorous diet was high in fat, while the other emphasized carbohydrates. The two semi-vegetarian diets were distinguished in the same way. All four diets derived 14% of energy from protein.

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“Biological age” essentially means how old the body appears based on health indicators, called biomarkers, rather than how many years a person has been alive.

The scientists measured 20 varied biomarkers, including cholesterol and insulin levels, in participants to determine how short-term diet changes affect biological aging.

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“While chronological age increases uniformly, biological aging varies between individuals, reflecting differences in health status and the body’s resilience,” a University of Sydney report on the study’s findings said.

Biomarker profiles “are often considered a better indicator of overall health and potential longevity than chronological age,” according to the report. 

The scientists found that, after four weeks, participants’ biological ages in three of the four diet groups dropped. Only the high-fat omnivorous dieters’ biological ages “showed no meaningful change.”

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The study, “Short-Term Dietary Intervention Alters Physiological Profiles Relevant to Ageing,” published in Aging Cell, concluded that the most pronounced improvements came from “diets rich in complex carbohydrates and plant-based components.”

The research team cautioned that these results are preliminary and may represent only short-term effects.

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“It’s too soon to say definitively that specific changes to diet will extend your life,” said Caitlin Andrews, who led the study. “But this research offers an early indication of the potential benefits of dietary changes later in life.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.