← Let's Talk Brain Health! 🧠22 Jul · 44 min

More Walking, Less Dementia: What Your Feet Are Telling Your Brain About Health and Longevity with Dr. Courtney Conley, DC & Dr. Milica McDowell, DPT

More Walking, Less Dementia: What Your Feet Are Telling Your Brain About Health and Longevity with Dr. Courtney Conley, DC & Dr. Milica McDowell, DPT22 Jul44 min

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This podcast episode is a conversation from the <a href="https://virtualbrainhealthcenter.com/neuro-nook-book-club/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Neuro Nook (book club)</a> where Dr. Krystal Culler and co-host Heather Elwell spoke with the authors of the National Bestseller Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity, One Step at a Time — Dr. Courtney Conley, DC and Dr. Milica McDowell, DPT — for a conversation that may likely shift change the way you think about walking. Today, fewer people realize they need to walk each day.What You'll Learn in This Episode🧠 Why walking belongs alongside breathing and sleeping as one of the three essential physiological functions we need to survive🧠 The surprising foot-brain connection 🧠 What to look for when you look down at your feet🧠 What an efficient walking gait actually looks like — and the simple cue that changes everything: roll the earth away🧠 What makes a healthy shoe choice — and the three criteria to look for when buying footwear🧠 Gait speed as the sixth vital sign — and what your walking speed can predict about your cognitive health up to nine years in advance🧠 The step count research on dementia risk — and why 3,800 to 9,800 steps per day could reduce your risk by 25 to 51 percent🧠 How walking impacts mental health — and why 5,000 steps per day has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression🧠 The power of the five-minute micro walk — and why five minutes is enough 🧠 Movement snacks from the book 🧠 How to find time for walking in a busy life Key Takeaways✔ Walking is a physiological necessity — not optional, not a luxury, and not a low-level activity✔ Your foot occupies massive real estate in your brain's sensory map — what happens from the ground up matters deeply for your overall health✔ Gait speed is the sixth vital sign — and it can predict cognitive decline up to nine years before diagnosis✔ Walking 3,800 steps per day reduces dementia risk by 25% — walking 9,800 reduces it by more than 50%✔ Five minutes counts — the micro walk is real, accessible, and powerful✔ Walk more, die less — the research is overwhelming and the prescription is freeThe Neuro Nook Rx from Walk📋 Add Vitamin W (Walk) to your daily brain care. Start with 5-minute intervals (≈500 steps) and build up to 30–35+ minutes a day (≈5+ days/week).📋 Take a brisk walk (≈112 steps/per minute) for 30 minutes per day. Earn FREE CEsThis podcast qualifies for the following credit types:: <ul><li>Physicians: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (CME)</li><li>Nurses: ANCC</li><li>Pharmacists: ACPE</li><li>Physician Associates: AAPA</li><li>Dentists: ADA CERP</li><li>Dietitians: CDR</li><li>Social Workers: ASWB</li><li>Psychologists: APA</li><li>Athletic Trainers: BOC</li><li>Interprofessional Continuing Education: IPCE</li></ul><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__learnatpinnacle.com_education&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=6_uyPBCL-fRTyOAqE366W0qXK2l2J4Ork1S3fYzzVYWW1OLCCKYbwRWJC9ljWIpu&m=fGkBnYmIvI4WqJOS0KIaWH9R-_-ApxOTS5iF25uf1lpoT1rtL35XuRX0pARvez21&s=YMbpsRIjEuIJx-MHBfUpgTOR4C1dOi2oUQbzXC3hAjk&e="> Join the Learn at Pinnacle app</a> to earn FREE CE credit for listening to this episode!Support the PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, please help us grow the conversation around better brain health:<ul><li>Follow or subscribe to the Let's Talk Brain Health! Podcast</l