Walking, one of life’s simplest pleasures, has somehow become underrated. How do I know this?
Well, I walk every day for nearly an hour. I start from my house in town and set out in different directions through neighborhoods, parks, and trails. I walk in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I walk during the week and during the weekends. And when I travel somewhere, I walk there too.
But sadly, I don’t run into many other people while on my walks, especially when the weather is anything less than perfect.
This observation isn’t meant to guilt trip those of you who don’t walk. It’s just a call to reconsider. Walking is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and I want to spread the word about how great it is.
Here are a few specific things I enjoy about my daily walk. There’s nothing stopping you from enjoying them too!
It gets me outside and into the sun. I love the feeling of the warm sun on my skin when I walk on a brisk morning. That narrow band of temperature at which you can feel both sensations at once is a simple pleasure I savor. As an added bonus, the sunlight helps me to get my daily dose of vitamin D, and avoid being part of the 40 percent of Americans who are deficient.
It gives my mind space to wander. There are precious few spaces in this busy, modern world to think without rushing, or to let your mind explore an idea without a particular goal in mind. Walking is one activity that always provides this space. Something about the rhythm and light exertion tunes out the world without requiring my focus.
I get to really know a place. With the many miles I’ve walked through my town, I feel that I have truly come to know its rhythms. I notice little things such as which homeowners keep their yards looking nice, which businesses are busiest, and what my town looks like through the various seasons of the year.
I don’t need any equipment. I love that I can put on a pair of shoes, any shoes, and walk out my front door at a moment’s notice. The sidewalk in front of my house connects me to any place I’d want to go. There’s no planning or equipment needed, just a simple decision to go for a walk.
It’s good for me physically. People who don’t consider walking to be “proper” exercise are really missing out. The Mayo Clinic documents a long list of health benefits of taking a brisk daily walk. These include lower risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes—just to name a few. In the short term, I can also attest that my daily walks make me feel great and full of energy.
It’s good for my brain. Not only does walking help me to relax and clear my mind, it’s also good for the long-term health of my brain. Research published in NeuroImage, a peer-reviewed journal, showed that a six-month walking intervention improved episodic memory in older adults and increased brain plasticity compared with a control group.
I can be productive while I walk. When you walk, your hands are usually free, you aren’t out of breath, and your mind isn’t completely occupied by the effort—that opens up all sorts of interesting opportunities to multitask. Some things I like to do while I walk: think through a problem, outline an article, talk to a friend on the phone, pray, and occasionally listen to a podcast or audiobook.
I can be delightfully unproductive. That last point being said, there are many times when I just like to relax my mind and let it wander wherever it wants to go. Sometimes, that means completely zoning out and not thinking about anything at all. I just enjoy the weather, the sounds, and the sights as they happen. This can be a kind of pleasure of its own.
It’s just the right amount of effort. For me, walking really hits the sweet spot when it comes to exertion. If I want, I can go for a leisurely stroll with my nice clothes on and not worry about getting sweaty or disheveled. On the other hand, there are some very hilly routes near my home that I often like to tackle with vigor, which leaves me quite out of breath. I can easily dial in my walks to just the perfect level of effort on any given day, a quality that makes me much more likely to get out the door.
I see a friendly side of humanity. As I mentioned already, I don’t see a lot of walkers on my walks, but I do see a number of other faces: crossing guards, construction workers, children playing, people on bikes, people in cars, people on porches, people standing in their yards, and more. And despite all the negative headlines you read about the world, so many of these people greet me with a smile, a wave, or a friendly nod. It encourages me and makes me glad for these simple interactions.
It puts me in a good mood. I have never, in all my walking, returned from a walk in a worse mood than when I started. It’s nearly impossible! It isn’t that I come back from my walks skipping with joy—it’s more like a pleasant, relaxed mood comes over me and gently pushes aside my concerns. This has even been my experience when I start my walk as a grump.
I get to see interesting things. When you spend time walking around, you never know what you’ll get to see. Recently, for example, I watched a box truck drive straight off the road, over an embankment, and into a corn field. Everyone was OK, but it’s a memory I won’t soon forget. I also get to see other, less dramatic events unfold, such as the progress of various construction projects throughout our town.
In summary, walking is a simple, no-cost activity that adds so much value to my life. Based on how great it’s been for me, I think more people should be walking. At least give it a try—you’ve got nothing to lose!
