By Emily Woodbury
…Speaking of walks, I just got back from one!
The results of this poll, where we asked how often you go for a walk, thrilled me (if I’m being honest). Almost half of you, 40 percent, said that you go for a walk at least once a day. Wooooohoo! Me too.
Walking has so many great benefits for your body, mind and spirit. It boosts your mood, it helps get your creative juices flowing, it clears your head, it helps you sleep better and, of course, it can help you lose a few pounds too. I’m sure those of you who do walk often notice a boost in your mood and productivity once you’re back inside.
I love this quote by “None of your knowledge, your reading, your connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with. Walk alone, across mountains or through forests. You are nobody to the hills or the thick boughs heavy with greenery. You are no longer a role, or a status, not even an individual, but a body, a body that feels sharp stones on the paths, the caress of long grass and the freshness of the wind. When you walk, the world has neither present nor future: nothing but the cycle of mornings and evenings. Always the same thing to do all day: walk. But the walker who marvels while walking (the blue of the rocks in a July evening light, the silvery green of olive leaves at noon, the violet morning hills) has no past, no plans, no experience. He has within him the eternal child. While walking I am but a simple gaze.”
In addition to the 40 percent of you who take a walk at least once a day, another 27 percent of you go for a walk a few times a week. Excellent! For the 10 percent of you who never go for walks, I understand that there may be reasons for this beyond what your poll answer can tell me, but if you’re able, I challenge you to go for one walk this week – whether it’s a 10-minute walk or a 45-minute walk (in an open place where you can stay six feet away from others, that is).
OK, gotta jet! Go for a walk, stay safe, and I’ll see you back in this same spot on Wednesday.
P.S. If you haven’t read Walking by Thoreau, or it’s been a while, do yourself a favor and re-read it.
I would walk more but I need knee replacement surgery so I’m limited right now.
Two thumbs UP! on the Frederic Gros quote!! I just finished my walk out here in the deserts around Las Vegas, and the air still smells SO CLEAN…you remember…the way IT’S SUPPOSED TO.
No noise but birds, no vehicle exhaust, not even any clouds today. Just the occasional sage and creosote scents (….ahhhh….).
Of course, our daytime high this afternoon is expected to be in the mid- to upper-90s, but hey…. that’s our normal. AND… *it’s a dry heat*….
Now, though, it’s barely in the 70s. And that’s a cool, dry, perfect 70s.
And there, my friends, is your desert walking weather report for today!
(Sorry…got a little over-exuberant. Can’t help it!)
I walk 5 days a week, Monday through Friday 3 miles a day or one hour a day. I prefer out side, but winter and raining will force me to go to the gym. About 7-8 minute drive from home. I prefer early morning starting around 6-7am.
I walk 2-4 miles a day, 3-4 times a week. Ohhhh how I dream of the days of jogging 4-6 miles a day, 5 days a week.
Ah well. I’m still glad to be here.
This is a great Newsletter. Thanks.