The Ventures had some good advice in 1960: Walk, don’t run.

As a septuagenarian, I’m doing more of the former than the latter.

It has been 75 years since I first found my sea legs as a walking toddler. I think most parents, grandparents and families always remember baby’s first footsteps.

My parents told me that I took my first steps shortly after my first birthday in their small apartment in Topeka. They eagerly awaited that milestone.

As the family story goes, my parents were at the kitchen table, watching me standing nearby and steadying myself by holding onto a chair. While they encouraged me to walk toward them, mom’s pet cat attracted my attention and darted off to the bedroom. I quickly followed the feline, taking clumpy steps and a few falls with mom in quick pursuit. My parents always laughed and told me I started to walk because of Fatso the cat.

Now, it’s time for another generation to experience that wonderful moment, a moment to share with all in the family tree and cement as a fond memory. Here in late September, my first great-grandson is nearing his first birthday, and learning to walk is definitely a “go.” Luckily, my oldest granddaughter doesn’t have a cat!

Walking, often a few miles at county parks over the weekends and participating in 5Ks for good causes, have long been my main exercises, but with no set schedule.

I celebrated my 76th candle in life by participating in a 5K, and the race helped me in another personal challenge at trying to stay fit. I do walk far more and jog far less nowadays, knowing there will always be people who finish before me and people who finish after me.

I have to admit there were far more ahead of me than behind me. I think my race time was the only one recorded by a sundial.

Participants included a grandmother and a mother trying to keep up with a toddler, about age 18 months, who ran ahead of them and laughed all the way. His winsome trek was about as straight as a pinball bouncing among flippers.

At least four participants with canes walked the course with others.

It was also refreshing to see 14 other participants in the 70+ category. More than half finished ahead of me, including men at ages 81 and 77. Two others, 77 and 78, followed me. Seven 70+ women participated in the 5K.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• The loss of strength and stamina attributed to aging is in part caused by reduced physical activity.
• Inactivity increases with age. By age 75, about one in three men and one in two women engage in no physical activity.
• Among adults aged 65 years and older, walking and gardening or yard work are, by far, the most popular physical activities.

When it comes to simple ways to be healthy, walking still reigns supreme because it’s an easy way to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle. It doesn’t require special abilities, appropriate attire or expensive equipment, and it can be done almost anywhere.

The American Heart Association reports walking is, in fact, the most common form of physical activity across the country, and the benefits of walking just 150 minutes each week can have a profound impact on overall health and well-being. That’s roughly 20 minutes each day.

For every hour of brisk walking, life expectancy for some people may increase by two hours, says the AHA. Walking can help improve cognitive function, reduce risk of depression and dementia, strengthen bones and muscles, and prevents weight gain.

Walking is my way to keeping a step ahead of old age and hopefully keeping up with a toddler after his first baby’s steps and future ventures: walk, don’t run – together.

Hope there are no cats along the way.