Mature Adults: 

Be Healthy, Walk Safely 
Stepping

Mature Adults: Be Healthy, Walk Safely 

This booklet will tell you how to maintain your safety while 

walking - whether you are walking for exercise or to run errands. It provides: 

�A quick refresher on the health benefits of walking. 

�Resources for getting started and planning what level 

of activity is best for you. 

�Ideas for incorporating walking into your everyday schedule 

and staying motivated to continue walking. 

�Tips for staying safe at intersections, in parking lots, 

in non-sidewalk areas, and in bad weather. 

�Suggestions for making your community a safer place to walk. 

But first, it will give you some helpful hints and reasons for 

starting and maintaining a walking program. 
Out

Table of Contents 

How Do I Maintain My Physical Independence? .................. 2


How Much Time Do I Need To Invest?................................. 4


What Are The Keys To Staying Fit? ....................................... 4


The Positive Health Rewards From Walking.......................... 5


Do You Still Have Stiff Joints And Muscles? .......................... 8


How Does Walking Fit My Lifestyle? .................................... 9


Locating Expert Exercise Advisors ....................................... 10


How Do I Stay Motivated? .................................................. 11


Getting Started Safely .......................................................... 14


What Are The Safety Considerations As I Get Older?.......... 20


What If My Neighborhood Is Not A Safe Place To Walk? .... 21


Resources ............................................................................ 22

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How Do I Maintain My Physical Independence? 

Walking is not only a healthy activity and an alternative to 

driving, but also a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But 

for many of us, the automobile has made it too easy to lead a 

sedentary lifestyle. “Why walk when it is so much easier to ride 

there quickly and comfortably?” Indeed, this notion is so 

widespread that 59 percent of older Americans do not walk or 

exercise regularly. 

Walking is a form of transportation that also has the added 

benefit of being a healthy activity. Because walking is second 

nature to us, we forget that it is not only good exercise, it also 

enables us to get where we need to go under our own steam, 

without having to rely on a vehicle. 

By substituting walking for driving, when practical, older 

adults can extend the number of years they are able to drive. 

Medical experts warn that a lack of regular physical activity 

and the effects of natural aging lead to a 20 to 40 percent 

muscle loss. With that amount of muscle loss, you could have 

difficulty walking, getting out of a chair, and driving. Doctors 

also tell us it is never too late to start an exercise program; 

even people in their 90s can benefit from walking several times 

a week. 
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What barriers keep people from walking? 

�Lack of time 

�Isolation, depression, and current weight 

�Poor vision 

�Fear that the exercise could cause injury 

�Fear for one’s personal safety 

�Illness or disability 

�Side effects of medication 

�Lack of exercise equipment 

�Lack of energy or simply don’t 

like to exercise 

If you can identify with 

any of these issues, you 

are not alone. But help is 

available. This booklet 

provides information 

that can help you get 

started safely on a 

walking program. 
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How Much Time Do I Need To Invest? 

The good news is that it only takes three to four hours of 

walking each week to show significant physical improvement. 

Research suggests that even light to moderate exercise, if done 

consistently, can slow the effects of aging, reduce stress, 

improve stamina, and enhance mental and physical health. 

Novice walkers are rewarded within the first month, while 

some experienced walkers report that their health is better 

than the average 40 year old. 

What Are The Keys To Staying Fit? 

Maintaining or increasing your strength, endurance, balance, 

and flexibility are the key factors to staying fit. Walking builds 

your strength and endurance, which contributes to better 

balance. You can improve your flexibility with stretching 

exercises designed specifically for older adults.1 By striving to 

increase all four factors, you lower your risk of injury and slow 

the aging process in your joints and muscles. 

For some, walking 30 minutes a day may be difficult. If so, 

experts suggest walking 10 minutes at a time, three times a day. 

As your health improves, you can combine two of the three 

smaller walks into a 20-minute walk, and then advance to a 

single 30-minute walk. As your daily walk becomes easier, try 

to include new challenges, such as climbing a hill, extending 

the time you walk, increasing your walking pace, or adding an 

additional day of walking. 

1 Those already diagnosed with osteoporosis should see their physician before 

attempting any stretching exercises. Some stretches that are good for others 

may not be good for you. 
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The Positive Health Rewards From Walking 

While any physical activity is good, only frequent exercise


brings lasting results. The results you gain from an activity will


fade dramatically after two weeks, and completely disappear


after two to eight months if that activity is not


continued.2 Doctors say that people who walk regularly can


often attain better long-term health and suffer fewer injuries


than someone who exercises more vigorously because walking


has minimal impact on your bones and joints. 

2 A guide from the National Institute on Aging, Chapter 3, 

www.webolife.arc.nasa.gov/exerciseandaging/chapter3.html 
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The long-term health benefits from walking include: 

�Lower blood pressure. Exercise causes blood vessels to dilate, 

which reduces the pressure on blood vessel walls. Decreased 

pressure lowers the chance of a blood vessel rupturing in the 

brain, thus lowering the risk for a stroke. 

�Lower cholesterol. Exercise lowers your cholesterol level, 

which decreases the risk to your heart. 

�Strengthened heart and cardiovascular system. The elevated 

heart rate you get from walking will help lower your heart 

rate when you rest. A strengthened heart and cardiovascular 

system also lowers the risk of coronary disease and heart attack. 

�Increased bone density. As density increases, the risk of 

osteoporosis and bone fractures decreases. Weight bearing 

exercise, such as walking, is especially important for women 

battling osteoporosis. 

�Production of growth hormones that counteract the effects 

of aging. As you grow older, your body stops producing 

hormones that help keep muscles strong. Therefore, regular 

exercise is the only natural way to get the body to continue to 

produce these hormones. 

�Increased production of endorphins (en-dor-fins) improves 

mental and physical health. Endorphins are the body’s 

natural way to decrease stress, helping you to relax. Forty 

minutes of walking three to four times a week can reduce 

depression and anxiety. As a result of endorphin release, 

people often find they feel better and sleep more soundly. 
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� Weight loss or weight maintenance. Studies have shown 

that walking regularly can help you lose weight, and keep 

unwanted pounds from returning. Depending on your pace, 

a one-mile walk burns approximately 100 calories for a 

person of average weight, and perhaps more for a heavier 

person (up to 300 calories per hour). 

�Strengthened nervous system and reflexes. When your body 

moves, the brain sends “messages” to your muscles that tell 

the muscle how to work. Those messages must be passed 

frequently so that the nervous system continues to function, 

improving your reflexes. 

�Increased flexibility. Walking and stretching increase overall 

flexibility and make daily activities, such as climbing stairs, 

walking across the street, and driving a car, easier and safer. 

Flexibility will help you maintain physical independence and 

may even help you extend the number of years you will be 

able to drive. 

Do You Still Have Stiff Joints And Muscles? 

Stiffness might make it harder to check for traffic as 

you walk. 

TIP: Turn your whole body, not just your neck, when 

scanning for traffic. our flexibility increases, so will 

your ability to be safe. 

As y
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�Balanced insulin production. For diabetics, exercise increases 

the production of insulin, which helps combat the high 

blood sugar of diabetes. For non-diabetics, exercise may also 

prevent the onset of diabetes. 

Many older adults who walk regularly believe that exercise has 

reshaped their lives. A fifty-nine year old woman, who is a 

cancer survivor, said it best: “Walking gives me the energy and 

stamina that I need to go out and actualize my dreams. I recently started teaching high school and completed a walking 

trip in Italy. It’s just plain easier for me to move my arthritic 

body out of bed in the morning when I am in shape. I miss 

how I feel if I go a week without walking.” 
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How Does Walking Fit My Lifestyle? 

Starting an exercise routine is difficult for many of us. The 

first step, though, is to identify how walking fits into your 

lifestyle. The Surgeon General reported that individuals 

are more likely to stick wth a regular exercise 

schedule if they believe that an activity: 

�Is beneficial 

�Is enjoyable 

�Can be done safely 

�Can be done correctly 

�Can be done regularly 

�Can fit into their current schedule 

�Will not result in increased social 

or financial costs 

�Has few negative consequences 

(for example, injury or lost time) 

Only you can decide if walking is 

best for your fitness plan. As with 

any form of exercise, if you have 

physical conditions that put you at 

risk3 or if you are a male older than 

40 or a female older than 50, 

consult your doctor before starting. 

3 “At risk” is defined as anyone who has a pre-existing physical condition or previous 

injury for which he or she has been seen by a doctor or is currently under medical 

supervision/medication. 
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Locating Expert Exercise Advisors 

Finding a qualified professional to give you advice is easier 

than you might think. Start with your doctor. In addition, 

there are other medical professionals who can tell 

you what types of walking or stretching would be best for 

you, including: 

�Doctors who specialize in sports medicine 

�Licensed physical therapists 

�Fitness instructors certified by the American College of 

Sports Medicine (ACSM) to work with older adults 

If you need assistance locating a qualified professional, 

the following groups might be able to provide a referral: 

�Your local hospital’s preventive health 

maintenance or exercise program 

�Your Health Maintenance Organization’s 

(HMO’s) wellness center 

� Local colleges and universities that hold 

exercise classes for older adults 

�Your local parks and recreation department 
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How Do I Stay Motivated? 

Maintaining a regular exercise routine can be just as difficult as 

starting one. Veteran walkers and exercise specialists suggest 

following these tips for staying motivated: 

�Treat your walking time as an appointment you make with 

yourself. Remember that the consequences of missing that 

appointment may mean less independence in the future. 

�Track your progress. Record improvements in time, 

distance, and flexibility by measuring your progress on 

a weekly or monthly basis. For example, if your goal is 

increased stamina, measure how far you can walk in 30 

minutes. You’ll see the greatest improvement during the 

first month, so track your progress on a weekly basis at 

the start of your walking program. 
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�Include new but reachable goals to keep building your 

fitness level. If your fitness level stays the same for an 

extended period, add a new challenge. For example: “I can 

walk along flat ground easily. I would like to be able to do a 

hike up hills with my grandkids.” So, your new goal may be 

to include hills in your walking program (if your doctor has 

said this is all right). 

�Write down the reasons you decided walking is worthwhile. 

Put these reasons at the top of your progress sheet and review 

them as you record your progress. Update when necessary. 
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�Join a walking group. When other people are walking with 

you, it can be easier to keep an exercise commitment. Walking 

with others also gives you a chance to catch up with friends. 

�Have alternative walking places in mind to use during 

inclement weather. Walking inside a shopping mall or a 

public building is better than walking outdoors in slick or 

snowy conditions (a walking stick can be helpful in slick 

conditions if you walk outside). 

�Combine your interests with walking. Sign up for a 

volunteer activity that includes walking, such as 

leading tours at a museum. 

�Look at your routine errands and selet some 

that you could walk to. Can you walk to 

the pharmacy or library instead of 

driving? f you walk for those 

trips, you get the benfits of 

exercise while shortening 

your To-Do list at the 

same time! 

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Getting Started Safely 

Because walking is such a routine part of everyday life, many 

people do not consider the safety aspects of walking. For 

instance, most injuries to walkers happen when a vehicle hits 

them because the driver could not see the walker or the 

walker and driver were not paying close enough attention. 

The key to remember is to See And Be Seen. It is a good idea 

when walking, especially at dawn, dusk, and other low-light 

conditions, to wear light colors or bright clothing so that you can 

be easily seen. Fluorescent colors such as blaze orange, hot pink, 

and day-glow green are ideal in daytime but not at nighttime. 
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To See And Be Seen, keep in mind that: 

�Walkers are especially at risk during winter. The lower angle 

of the winter sun increases the shadows cast by buildings and 

trees. Decreased daylight, shadows, and nightfall make it 

difficult to see walkers wearing dark or non-reflective clothing. 

�Dress to be seen by drivers. If you walk at night, remember 

that wearing white clothing does not guarantee drivers can 

see you. When walking at night, use a flashlight to make 

yourself more visible to drivers and to help light your path. It 

is also a good idea to wear reflective or retroreflective materials, which give off light when headlights shine on them and 

can be seen by drivers three times farther than white. Many 

stores sell walking shoes, jackets, and safety sports 

equipment featuring 

retroreflective material. 

Although retroreflective 

materials are more effective 

than reflective materials, 

both are ineffective in 

daytime. 
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Here are some other safety tips for walkers: 

�Wear sturdy shoes that will give you proper footing. A 

running or walking shoe that supports your foot from side 

to side is best. 

�Use paths and sidewalks whenever available. If you must 

walk on or near a road, remember to walk facing oncoming 

traffic, so that both you and the driver can see each other. 

If there’s a smooth stable surface alongside the roadway, 

that’s also a good place to walk—just stay as far to the side 

as possible and look for oncoming traffic. 

�Cars and other objects can obscure a driver’s view. Cars, 

buses, hedges, or mounds of snow can block a driver’s view. 

Even if a driver has stopped to let you cross the street, don’t 

blindly accept the driver’s offer because there may be another 

vehicle in the next lane overtaking the stopped vehicle. And 

the second driver can’t see you because of the stopped vehicle. 

�Plan routes to avoid hazardous crossings. The safest crossing 

points will have: 

(1) enough room for you to stand back from the roadway, 

(2) crosswalks that are clearly defined on the pavement, and 

(3) crossing signals that indicate when you should cross. 

Wide avenues that require pedestrians to cross in phases 

should have an island where you can stand until the next 

“fresh green” (a fresh green is the newly changed green light 

on the traffic signal in front of you as you stand facing the 

direction you want to cross) or walk signal phase. 
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�Stop and look for traffic in all directions before crossing the 

street, and look to the left, right, and left again—even on a 

one-way street. And always look left last because that is the 

direction that cars will be coming from when you first step 

off the curb. 

�Don’t rely only on traffic signs and signals. Assuming that a 

signal will stop traffic puts you at risk. You must look for 

traffic even if you are in a crosswalk and you are crossing with 

the light or with the walk signal. A driver who does not see or 

obey a sign or signal may also not be paying enough attention to see you. 

�Allow plenty of time to cross streets. If you’re not sure how 

long a signal gives you to cross, observe one light cycle so 

you’ll know how much time you have. If the signal does not 

provide enough time, find another place to cross the street. 

Otherwise, cross the street when you get a “fresh green.” 
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�Intersections are especially difficult for older pedestrians. 

You are most at risk when first stepping off the curb, because 

drivers may not see you until you’re actually in the roadway. 

Always stop at the curb and look left, right, then left again 

for cars before entering the roadway. on’t assume 

the drivers see you unless they signal for you to 

cross. 

�Turning vehicles can be especially dangerous at intersections. Drivers are concentrating on making their turns and avoiding oncoming traffic, so they might not 

see you! Exaggerate your head turns so 

that you look in all directions, including behind you. Make sure you look 

for vehicles making right turns on 

red and for vehicles making 

left turns. Always 

make sure the 

driver of a 

vehicle that is 

turning sees 

you. 

D
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�Understand crosswalk signals. To make learning crosswalk 

signals easier, let’s compare them to the traffic lights we use 

when driving. 

The steady DON’T WALK signal is like the red 

light, it means that you should stop at the curb and 

wait for the next WALK signal or green light. 

The flashing DON’T WALK signal, like the yellow 

caution light, means that you shouldn’t start to 

cross the street. However, if you are in the street 

when the signal begins flashing, don’t stop or return to the curb. Continue to walk as fast as you 

can, comfortably, until you reach the other side or 

a pedestrian island. 

The WALK signal, like the green light, does not 

mean that it is safe for you to start crossing without 

looking. It is best, even on a WALK signal, to 

check traffic for turning vehicles or oncoming cars. 

Before crossing at an intersection, you may want to 

wait for a “fresh green” light because it will give you 

the most crossing time. If there is a push button, 

press the button and wait for the WALK signal to 

come on. 

Some areas are using a new WALK signal that 

counts down the seconds remaining for you to 

cross the intersection safely. When the seconds run 

out, a steady DON'T WALK light will come on 

because the traffic light is about to change. 
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�Walk with a friend. Walking with a friend will add to the 

pleasure of your walk and increase your safety as well, as 

long as you are watching out for each other. Enjoy your 

conversation, but don’t let it distract you from watching out 

for road and traffic hazards as you walk. 

�Be especially careful in parking lots. Parking lots create 

special hazards because cars may be turning quickly or 

backing out of a parking space. Be sure to look for backup 

lights and listen for engine noise. 

�Wait for a “fresh green” when crossing at signals. Don’t 

start to cross the street unless the traffic signal has just 

turned green. By waiting for a fresh green, you allow 

yourself the most time to cross the intersection safely. 

What Are The Safety Considerations 

As I Get Older? 

As adults age, gradual losses in their hearing, vision, reflexes, 

and flexibility put older pedestrians at risk. For instance, 

stiff joints may make it harder to turn your head, neck, and 

shoulders and you may not see vehicles that are turning or 

backing up. So, turn your whole body, not just your neck, 

when looking for traffic. 
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What If There Are 

No Safe Places To Walk? 

As a result of legislation passed in the 1990s, each state must 

employ a Pedestrian Coordinator whose job it is to ensure that 

communities are more pedestrian friendly. Also, many associations 

and community groups have prepared materials to help bring 

about change to make communities a better place to walk. 

There are many steps you can take to improve the 

“walkability” of your community: 

�Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper 

�Contact your Mayor or a City Council member and ask for a 

Walkable Community Program 

�Ask local police to increase enforcement of speed limits 

in neighborhoods 

�Join a citizen’s committee 

�Survey the routes you use regularly and contact your


Department of Public Works if sidewalks, signals, and


signs need to be improved


Whatever your age, remember it is not too late to reverse the


effects of time. Walking is a good place to start, giving you


increased strength and stamina to help you


get greater enjoyment out of life.

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Resources 

The following resources can provide information about local 

groups involved in pedestrian advocacy and planning in your area: 

�National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 

Office of Program Development and Delivery 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/People/injury/Pedbimot/Ped 

�Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 

http://www.walkinginfo.org 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 

730 Airport Road, Suite 30 

Campus Box 3430 

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 

Tel: (919) 962-2203 

Toll Free: 1-877-925-5245 
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�Federal Highway Administration 

Office of Human Environment and Planning 

Environment/Bike and Pedestrian Programs 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/bipedcor.htm 

Tel: (202) 366-5007 

�Local Department of Transportation 

Pedestrian Coordinator 

http://www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadshow/walk/resource/ 

psrdm109.htm 

�Walkable Communities 

Information and presentations on making your 

community pedestrian safe and accessible 

Email: walkable@aol.com 

Tel: (386) 454-3304 
U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

400 SEVENTH STREET, S.W. 

WASHINGTON, DC 20590