Former Army Ranger Holly “Cargo” Harrison wanted to see if he was tough enough to go the distance.
So he laced up a pair of hiking boots. He grabbed some poles and gear. And he headed about as far south as you can go to Ushuaia, Argentina.
That’s where he started walking. For the next 17-1/2 months, he walked every day. His journey included border crossings, bad weather, health problems, and other challenges.
But Harrison didn’t let those things stop him. He kept going. And eventually, he reached his goal, arriving in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, after walking more than 15,000 miles.
“As it turns out, my walk took me to a place that I never expected to go,” says Harrison. “Physically, I arrived at Prudhoe Bay, but emotionally, I reached a place deeper within myself…”
A simple way to improve your health: Walk more
At some points during his journey, Harrison walked 30 miles a day. That’s a lot. You don’t need to exercise that much to improve your health. But you should be active.
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- How much exercise do you get? About 77 percent of adults don’t get enough aerobic (30 minutes a day) and strength exercise (2 days a week).1
But if you want to improve your health, feel better, manage your weight, and prevent chronic disease, a little more exercise can help.
Here’s an easy way to start: Go for a walk.
Make it a regular part of your day. If you don’t have a 30-minute block of time, take three short walk breaks throughout the day.2
Take one step, and then another. And track your progress. That’s the same way Harrison made it all the way from Argentina to Alaska.