Going for walks is something that has been done since the beginning of time. It has many purposes and is something you should be doing daily. From exploring your surroundings to getting in touch with nature to giving deep life knowledge to your sons walking should be a part of your life. It’s sad we have a society where many if not most spend their entire day holed up in a cubicle only to go home and be holed up in their apartment watching TV. Man is an animal that was meant to live free and be free. But now he represents a caged hamster more than anything.
Daily walking is a small but important step to breaking away from the mind numbing shackles of the modern world and getting in touch with both nature and yourself. To step away from the maddening crowd and be alone with your thoughts. Walking is also a great time to communicate with those you care about most. It is during walks that provides some of the best times to impart life long knowledge. Man has known this since the hunter-gather days, know in the agricultural age, and even had an understanding of during the industrial age. But now in the information age it has been lost. Here are three important reasons to walk everyday in addition to reconnecting with yourself and loved ones.
Reason #1 – Health Benefits
While walking won’t turn you into Arnold or make you into a bad ass there are still many positive effects that walking has on the human body. If you have been sitting in a cubicle all day walking is a great way to “stretch out” your tired muscles and give your body some light exercise to stay sharp. Walking shouldn’t be done in replacement of a dedicated workout routine but rather in supplement to it. It can be done before your workout as a warm-up or done after your workout for a cool down. It can also be done first thing in the morning to get you energized for the day ahead.
Walking burns calories and keeps your body limbered up. Especially if its done in hilly terrain. Again it’s not going to turn you into a super soldier but it will keep you from getting too soft. Especially if you’re hiking and going off the beaten path. Put simply it’s healthy and good to get moving and do some form of exercise even if it’s light every day. Walking is a great way to incorporate daily activity in your life while also having a host of other benefits in addition to burning some calories and keeping you from getting too soft.
Reason #2 – Clear Your Mind
Walking in addition to being good for your body is also good for your mind. Walking does a great job of clearing your head and letting you thoughts fly free. Whenever I am working on a problem and have exhausted other methods to solve it I go on a walk and will generally come back with an answer or at least knowledge of what direction I should go in to solve my problem. Also whenever I am trying to come up with ideas for something, say more posts to write but am coming up short I’ll go take a walk.
When I come back I can start writing and will come away with ten or more ideas to begin working on right away. Walks can be a great way to mull problems over and to find ideas when you’re running short on them. I’ve gotten ideas for books, posts, businesses, and much more from taking walks. Walks are also a great time to listen to audiobooks or lectures to expand your mind even more. Of course if your trying to clear your mind this might be better off being used at a different time.
Reason #3 – Reconnect With Nature
There is a tie between man and nature. I’m not talking about some green movement or those men who worship nature. I mean something much more primal and masculine then those clowns. Something that hunters and those who live in the woods understand. Nature has a great way of cleaning your mind and body out from all the trash that is heaped upon it in the modern world. Getting away from the news, papers, and average people is great for getting your mind back on track and re-energized. Like connecting with a deep wellspring of energy and life.
Connecting with nature is important, if just for your sanity. Not to mention the clearness of thought and purpose you can draw from it. Whenever I have an important life decision to make I try to get out in nature to really think about and resolve it. It is in nature that I feel most at peace and connected to something deeper and more powerful. Walking is a great way to do this if you don’t have the time to camp or you cannot have somewhere in the words to retreat too.
Summary
There are many different benefits for daily walks, more than the three listed here. Daily walking is good for your mind, your body, and your spirit making it a great use of your time. Whenever you are at a loss for ideas take a walk and see if you can’t come up with something. Want to cut some extra calories then make walking a part of your daily life. Want to reconnect with something deeper or share words of wisdom with loved ones then take a walk with them. They’ll thank you.
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-Charles Sledge
I love my daily walks during my lunch break for all the reasons you listed above. It’s also a good opportunity to get a dose of Vitamin D from the sun. I typically do the opposite of your tactic of sorting out ideas on my walk. I just daydream and let my mind wander. Gives my mind a breather and lets it recharge.
Hey whatever works for you that’s another great option. Especially to get a break from work.
Let me just say that before it started getting cold I was doing 2 hour long walks three nights a week, burning roughly 700 calories (according to my phone). That, combined with working out 5x5s every other night helped me break my weight down below 200 lbs, which I hadn’t previously been able to do with workouts alone. I had to cut down to 1 hour walks due to my bad knees, and I stopped when it got too cold (really makes the knees scream), but I will pick it up again in spring. Walks are a great idea, and free to boot! You don’t need a gym membership for a walk!
That’s great Snapper. And absolutely, walks are a must for everyone if the weather (and their body) permits.