They called her speedy. My Nana, Anna, a petite Lithuanian beauty, used to zip around the hallways of her apartment building in Montreal North, getting in her steps decades before pedometers told us to aim for 10,000 a day.
Walking is an accessible*, free way to stay healthy. Unison’s Wellness Connection Centre hosts regular walking groups (with a small administrative fee) where people can gather, socialize, and take in local sights. You hardly even notice you’re exercising. When my mom visits from Montreal, she always joins the walking group, and often ends up sharing a coffee in the Kerby Café with new friends afterwards.
Walking has a way of bringing us together, and for good reason. It’s one of our human superpowers.
Human evolutionary history has positioned us for endurance thanks to our anatomy, physiology, and culture. Our ancestors couldn’t outrun predators in a sprint (well, we probably still can’t), but they could outlast almost any animal. Cheetahs, for example, are lightning fast, but only for short bursts. Humans can cover far greater distances over longer periods, which was critical for survival when we had to hunt and gather food. We’ve spent far more of our history walking and foraging than we have pushing shopping carts through Costco.
Humans are equipped with impressive adaptations. We sweat to regulate our temperature, and we shiver when cold to generate heat (a mechanism shared with other mammals). Our muscles are unusually resistant to fatigue compared with sprint specialists like the cheetah. While they need a cat-nap after a chase, humans can keep going, often pushing through tiredness with remarkable endurance. But our cognitive abilities also matter.
We can set goals, persevere when exhausted, and attach meaning to our actions—all of which shape our habits and our culture. Anna certainly attached meaning to her daily walks, blending her spiritual practice with physical activity. Her instinct to smile at her neighbours was a subtle but powerful social cue: non-threatening, but signalling she didn’t want to stop. These small gestures, reinforced through culture, are deeply human. Today, they might just be considered polite, but tens of thousands of years ago, they could have meant safety, survival, and belonging. I like to think Anna also made the hallways of her building feel safer, warmer, and more welcoming for the other older adults who shared that space.
*Dear readers for whom walking is not an accessible activity, I hear and see you. While this article celebrates walking, the true spirit of “active aging” isn’t limited to putting one foot in front of the other. It’s about movement in any form that feels right for your body, finding practices that bring meaning or calm, and building connections. You are equally part of the story of human endurance and community.