Take a Walk

Simply walking is one of the most underrated forms of movement. Walking supports not only physical health but also mental clarity, longevity, and weight management. 

 Our brains weren’t designed for constant stimulation. Our brains evolved walking across many miles daily in the search for food. Our ancestors were not sitting in front of a screen all day, they were out moving in nature to ensure they could survive.

The technology in our society today is carefully and systematically designed to keep us engaged, often consuming our time and attention. It limits opportunities for our brains to pause, process, and generate our own thoughts and ideas.

Many of history’s great thinkers, from Aristotle to Steve Jobs, swore by walking as a tool for problem-solving and deep thinking. When you remove distractions, your mind has the space to process, reflect, and generate new ideas.Most of these newsletter ideas and the bulk of their substance can be attributed to my walks. 

Walking outdoors has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improving overall mental well-being. Sunlight during walks helps regulate circadian rhythms, improving sleep quality and mood. Plus, the simple act of moving rhythmically is meditative in itself. 

While walking may not have the high-intensity appeal of a gym workout, its impact on weight management is well documented. A brisk walk burns roughly 100-150 calories per mile, making it an excellent way to increase overall calorie expenditure. More importantly, it’s a sustainable habit. 

The key to weight management is finding a plan that is sustainable, and walking can be a major variable in this plan for many people. 

 Regular walking has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. This means that walking can significantly decrease your chance of cardiovascular disease. Just 30 minutes per day or 150 minutes per week of walking is shown to decrease coronary artery disease by 19%. Your heart is pretty important, so why not take good care of it.

Walking is not only good for the heart it also increases blood flow to the brain, which not only sharpens cognitive function but also reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Walking is a small habit with profound long-term benefits.

Although I’ve just laid out the many benefits of walking specifically, all of the above principles and benefits can be attained through other forms of movement as well. The overall message is not that you have to start walking, but it is that you should start moving.

Our bodies love movement and function best when we are moving them regularly. Walking is just one of easiest ways to add movement into your daily routine.

 Walking has been a vital part of my days. I am currently taking 25.5 credit hours of courses in a Doctorate of Chiropractic Medicine program and the best way I have found to shift myself from the intense day of studying to the mindset I want to have when I come home after classes and it is family time, is a brief walk.

Everyday I get home and walk my dog (Sunni), and I have found this small habit allows me to shift from the highly sympathetic state that I find myself in all day at school and studying to a more present and relaxed state.

"Walking is man's best medicine." – Hippocrates

Stay Healthy, 

Thomas Stevens