Conventional walking is good for older adults, and walking on a synthetic mat embedded with smooth stones is even better, researchers have shown.
Walking on the so-called cobblestone mat improves physical function and reduces blood pressure to a greater extent than regular walking, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The idea is that the stone surfaces stimulate acupoints on the soles of the feet, which “elicit therapeutic responses that may contribute to health aging.”