Why is standing more tiring than walking?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 9 July 2021
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Standing takes less energy than walking, so why does it feel more tiring? At least, it does for CrowdScience listener Nina. She can march for hours without getting tired, but her legs and feet get achy after just a short time standing still.
It’s one of three walking-themed questions CrowdScience is tackling this week. Taking inspiration from our active listeners, Marnie Chesterton walks up a hill with Caroline Williams, author of a new book about why humans are designed to move. We find out how our whole system – body and brain – works better when we’re walking, compared to standing still. We’re probably set up this way because of our evolutionary history: hunting and gathering needed us to be ‘cognitively engaged endurance athletes’.
We stop for a break.. but is it true that we shouldn’t sit down to rest during a walk? Our listener Sarah is a keen hillwalker but likes to take the weight off her feet every now and again. Her hillwalking friends disapprove, saying she should rest on her feet. Is this a myth CrowdScience can bust?
And finally a question from listener Matteo: is walking or running better for your health? Numerous studies show significant benefits to both forms of exercise, but in the end, the best kind of exercise is the one you’re motivated to do.
With Caroline Williams, Dr François-Xavier Li, Professor Dick Greene and Professor Duck-Chul Lee.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:30.3 | It's perfect walking weather I'd say. It's not raining, but it's not too sunny so I'm not going to turn into a sweaty mess. |
| 0:41.0 | I don't speak too soon there's a hill. So we go across the |
| 0:45.5 | field and then start heading up. This is crowd science from the BBC World |
| 0:52.1 | Service I'm Marnie Chesterton. This is the show that answers your science questions. And this time we've got three questions about walking which is why we're on a walk with science journalist Caroline Williams. |
| 1:05.2 | Caroline, where are we? |
| 1:06.8 | We are in Surrey, about 40 minutes outside London, in a lovely woodland. The reason that we're here with you is because you've just |
| 1:16.7 | written a book Move about why humans are designed for movement so you are our perfect guide. Let's get straight to our first |
| 1:25.8 | question which is from listener Nina Zhang in Liverpool in the UK who was also |
| 1:31.2 | out walking when I spoke to her earlier. |
| 1:34.0 | Hello, Manny. |
| 1:36.0 | Hello, Nina. |
| 1:37.0 | Where are you? |
| 1:38.0 | I'm in Elgin Park. |
| 1:40.0 | I walk to the park almost every day. |
| 1:42.0 | That ties into your question for crowd science. What is your question? |
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