Skip to content

Take the guesswork out of eating right with new meal plan recipes.

Content starts here

CLOSE ×

Red Membership Card

AARP MEMBERSHIP

Join AARP for just $15 for your first year when you sign up for automatic renewal. Gain instant access to exclusive products, hundreds of discounts and services, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Walk With a Friend

Teaming up with a pal can help you meet your exercise goals

By

Staying Sharp

Updated April 07, 2023

Updated April 07, 2023

Two women smiling and walking together beside a track

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Quick Win

Friendship and fitness are a great combination. The buddy system can help you stay accountable, get fit and have fun.

Try This Today

Find a friend who is game to walk today — and decide on a time and place. (Next best thing: Make a walk-and-talk phone date with a friend.)
Increase the fun factor with a destination, such as a bookstore or a new coffee shop you’ve been wanting to check out.
Check in with each other as you go: Is the pace too slow or too fast? Adjust to find a happy medium.

Why

This activity combines two things that support good health: exercise and social connection. Partnering with a friend can make your walk more fun and may help you follow through. Older adults are more likely to exercise when supported by family members or friends, according to a review of 27 studies that was published in 2017 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. And the benefits of a “walk and talk” go beyond the physical. A study among young adults published in 2023 in Communication Research suggests that just one good conversation a day with a friend may increase well-being.

Legal Disclaimer

Best Of

More From Staying Sharp

Ballerinas in dance studio practicing with teacher showing poses

Try the Squat Alternative: Pliés

A simple exercise you can do anywhere strengthens legs and glutes

MEMBERS ONLY

A finger pointing at a smartwatch on a person’s wrist

Do Wearables Work for Losing Weight?

Wearing a fitness tracker may not make you slimmer and fitter, but they can help

A smiling couple doing tai chi together in the park

Try Tai Chi for Balance and Well-Being

Harness the benefits of this low-impact, accessible form of exercise

MEMBERS ONLY

Most Popular

Benefits Recommended For You

Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

Unused AARP Rewards points expire 12 months after they are earned, in monthly batches on a rolling basis.