Musings | The Power of Walking
“Walking is [our] best medicine.”
When we walk, our mind is free to wander and wonder, in part, because we do not have to give much conscious effort over to the act of walking. As we walk and our mind wanders, we are more likely to experience a mental state that supports the development of innovative ideas and strokes of insight. Recent research has shown that creative thinking is enhanced when we are walking as opposed to sitting.
Except on the days when it is excruciatingly cold or incredibly icy, walking is a safe activity, even amidst the pandemic. It also represents an easy way to insert movement into your day and safely connect with others (by being physically distant, wearing a face covering, and being outside). Taking a short outdoor walk, with as little as five minutes of exposure to nature, can improve your mood and elevate your self-esteem. Also, exposure to nature helps us engage in involuntary attention. Voluntary attention requires us to be focused; this type of attention is used throughout our workday. Because involuntary attention takes less focus and energy, it helps us recover from mental fatigue.
In Why Walking Helps Us Think, Feris Jabar outlines why walking aids us with thinking and writing: “The answer begins with changes to our chemistry. When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain. Many experiments have shown that after or during exercise, even very mild exertion, people perform better on tests of memory and attention. Walking regularly also promotes new connections between brain cells, staves off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that both stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them.”
Who knew? Using walking in our day is a quick and easy way to recover from mental fatigue, increase our self-esteem, improve our mood, enhance our creativity, and get in some movement! As simple as walking appears to be, it may not be so for everyone. For those who, for a myriad of reasons, are not able to walk, perhaps you can sit outside and take in fresh air and nature and find other ways (meditation, short breaks during the day, listening to music) that provide opportunities for quiet and a shift in focus.
Still not sold on walking as a great medicine? Note the 10 benefits outlined on the right and consider these 5 ways you can walk with purpose: Walk with perspective (take the sun and your surroundings); Walk for connection (it is safe to walk with others outdoors and physically distanced); Walk for learning (listen to an audiobook or podcast); Walk for gratitude (think about what you are grateful for); Walk for productivity (have a walking meeting or dictate ideas into your phone’s voice recorder).
