The Joy of Walking
Along with nearly everyone else, I have spent some time during the last week or so thinking back to a year ago and all that has happened and changed in that year. March 2020 feels very far away but also just like yesterday. And as more and more people get vaccinated, and the world starts to open up a little more, it is starting to feel like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel and things can begin to get back to some semblance of normal.
But before we all throw on our fancy clothes that haven’t been worn in a year and run to the nearest bar or hop on a plane heading literally anywhere, I think it is worth taking a few minutes to think about if you want to immediately jump back to where you were in February 2020 or if you want to incorporate any unexpected, new habits or lifestyle changes that you have developed over the last year.
One thing that I definitely want to incorporate into my new normal is walking. Throughout 2020, especially March through August, I was walking a lot. Like 20,000 steps a day a lot. I would walk with my mom and dog, I would walk by myself, I would walk with a friend, I would walk with my dad. I walked listening to a podcast, I walked alone with my thoughts, I walked/danced blasting music, I walked while talking on the phone. During a time when there wasn’t exactly a lot to look forward to, my daily walks were always a highlight and made me feel more peaceful, joyful, and less stressed. It also didn’t hurt that I was living in one of the most beautiful places in California and had amazing scenery to walk around.
The view on one of my favorite walking routes…
The advantages of walking are well documented. Beyond the physical benefits of it being a great, low impact exercise, it also has amazing mental benefits. Walking can lower stress, increase creativity, and allow you to decompress.
I loved a recent NY Times article about the benefits of taking an “awe walk” – a walk where you look around at the small wonders around you and feel in the presence of something larger than yourself. It is a way to get out of your head and just focus on the amazing things in the world, whether that is the color of the sky, the sunlight through the trees, or the sound of waves crashing. It may sound a little cheesy but give it a try! If nothing else, it is time spent not in your head, obsessing over that stupid thing you said or worrying how you are going to finish that big project.
As my calendar has filled up more and I have gotten a little busier, my walks have fallen off a little (I am also going to blame the shorter days during winter). But I notice that I really miss them and can feel a difference in my energy and mental state when I do not take a walk. So I will definitely be working to keep my walks going in the future – even if it is just getting outside for a quick, 15 minute one, it is something that I am going to strive to do every day.
How about you? Do you enjoy walking as well? Or do you have another habit you have discovered over the past year?
