We join health centers to workout in mirrored training rooms, buy Pelotons and work out elliptical machines.  All good, but those activities are done indoors. A long walk outdoors connects us with nature, adds a dimension of wellness to our fitness…and sometimes makes wonderful memories. 

I can’t remember any of the indoor sessions of exercise I’ve done over the years, but I can recall in detail a few of my favorite walks.

Memorable Walks

One great walk was with my daughter at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. As we trekked amongst the towering hoodoos we were so moved we broke out in in song and held hands letting our arms swing in our sense of wonder.

Another specific walk I remember was a solitary walk along a brook in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.  The trail had little hills lined with old growth hemlocks.  A brook surged and danced just a few steps away, tumbling over boulders.  A sense of peace washed over me and I felt like I could walk all day.  I’ll bet the feeling I had was a little like the “runner’s high” I’ve heard about, and recalling the experience makes me want to go back to that trail even though it’s a couple hours drive away.  Something tells me it will be worth the effort.

I love walking for its simplicity.  It’s inexpensive (just invest in good walking shoes), has low risk of injury, and you can add variety to your walks by visiting different trails or going with different friends.

Walking Benefits

I walk mostly for the good feeling I get during and after the walk but while researching for this column I found some benefits that surprised me.

One study shows that by adding a quarter mile to your walk causes an incredible 14% decrease for developing heart disease.  Another surprise benefit of walking was highlighted in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showing that even walking on pavement improves mobility by strengthening muscles surrounding your joints.  The research showed that just ten minutes of walking per day can stave off disability and arthritis pain in older adults.

Want more?

More Benefits

• You only need to walk for 30 minutes four or five times a week to improve cognition.
• One study showed that just a 2 minute walk after dinner can lower blood sugar
• Just 15 minutes walking in nature can provide a host of benefits, according to one study, boosting mood, relieving stress, and reducing blood pressure.

A Famous Nature Walker speaks

Walking in nature has at least one famous fan.  Henry David Thoreau thought nothing of walking a couple hundred miles across New England on his many trips. And he made a point to walk daily:  “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields.”  Notice the word saunter.  He is not concerned with speed but rather the spirit of the walk that’s important.

In his essay “Walking” he has fun with the subject, writing about his fellow townsmen confined to their shops. “I think they deserve some credit for not having committed suicide long ago.”  Henry David was ahead of his time, exhorting us to get outdoors and take long walks for both the physical and mental rewards.

Hope you take a long walk soon and surprise yourself by humming a tune or whistling as you go.

YOUR TURN

Do you have a favorite walking route or walking memory? Share your faves in the comments!:

Michael J. Tougias is a New York Times bestselling author and co-author of 30 books for adults and nine books for middle readers (ages 8-14). Walks of exploration in remote settings are featured in Tougias’ books The Waters Between Us and There’s A Porcupine In My Outhouse.  www.michaeltougias.com)