When you’re a child, you don’t walk because you think it will be good for your health. You do it because it usually means going somewhere fun and makes you feel good. You don’t know that it's good exercise or that being outside in the fresh air is so healthy. It’s the first type of exercise you experience and sets you up for everything else you learn in terms of sport and exercise.
Then as you grow up, while you know it's good for you, you have so many other options like running, team sports, yoga, pilates, zumba, boxercise ….the list goes on, that plain old walking is relegated to something you do to get somewhere, or something that you plan for, like going hiking at the weekend or on holiday.
Yet out of all of exercise, walking can be the most beneficial everyday habit and is accessible to almost everyone. It seems like such a simple thing but has such a positive effect on your health, mindset, energy and creativity that you shouldn't ignore it and should try and incorporate it more consciously in your life.
WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT WALKING?
Walking is universally seen as good for you. It has so many health benefits, both for your body and mind. Just listen to this list from the The Mayo clinic website, that says that regular walking helps
- Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat
- Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes
- Improve cardiovascular fitness
- Strengthen your bones and muscles
- Improve muscle endurance
- Increase energy levels
- Improve your mood, cognition, memory and sleep
- Improve your balance and coordination
- Strengthen immune system
- Reduce stress and tension
If all that was not enough, a recent Times newspaper article reported that people who are physically fit in middle and older age are much less likely to develop Alzheimer’s,One of the largest studies to examine a link between physical fitness and Alzheimer’s risk found that those with the highest levels of “cardiorespiratory fitness” were 33 per cent less likely to develop the neurological disorder compared with those in the least fit group. And walking was seen as enough to achieve those results.
Now of course you have to do more than simply walk to your car, or from the car to a shop. But equally you don’t need to start walking for hours, certainly not straight away.
The same Times article quotes scientists from American Academy of Neurology (AAN) who say you just need two and a half hours of brisk walking a week enough to boost fitness to top levels, have found. So just 30 minutes brisk walking everyday is enough. It just needs to be fast enough to get your heart rate up and your breathing faster. No matter how busy your life is, you can find 30 mins.
I know exercise can be hard for some people, but by making time for walking in the right way, you can gain so much with not too much effort. But equally, if you love to run or go to the gym, or do a bit of zumba in the park, you can mix it up a bit, walk one day and do another type of exercise the next, whatever works for you.
OTHER BENEFITS
Not only is walking fantastic for your health but it is a true creativity booster. If you have ever had a time where you could just not think any more, then go for a walk away from your desk to the kitchen or outside to go around the block and then the ideas just flow, you have experienced this power.
Science has confirmed that walking does indeed awaken creative ability. In one Stanford University study, Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking, researchers found that walking boosts creative output by a huge 60 percent!
So if you have loads of ideas for a new career and what to work out what one would be best, or need some inspiration a walk can really help your brain sort through all your thoughts so you can make some decisions.
When you are working in a demanding corporate job, you can feel really drained of energy and can become exhausted. Especially, if you really are tired of that job and it’s no longer something you enjoy. Just going through the day to day is hard. Walking as part of your day, can help you deal with that stress and give you a shot of energy to help you get through it all.
The beauty of a walk is that it doesn’t take up much brain power, so you can multitask while walking. Unlike a run where your mind is on your breathing or the distance you’ve travelled, or at the gym where you are concentrating on the movements of different exercises or how many reps you've done, you can just let your mind wander while you walk or use the time to do other things.
So things like keeping up to date on world affairs by listening to the news, or popping on an audio book or podcast to learn about new interesting topics related to your career move or things you’re interested in, or just enjoying a fictional story to get your mind off any worries . You can also listen to music, whether it's your favourite energising music to create a positive mindset, or some calming chill out music to soothe your mind after a busy day. Create a few playlists to suit whatever mood you want to be in.
Another way of using your walking time to your benefit is to just walk in silence and let your mind take you where it wants to. Actually, although I often get great ideas when I’m listening to podcasts or audio books, when something someone says sparks a thought, I’m most creative when I let my mind just be. So use the time to rest your mind, let it flow from idea to idea as this is when it will pull things together.
Ideally, you should try and walk in nature to get the best effects of meditative walking. The powerful effect of the natural world on our mind is well known. Walking through green spaces can create the calmness needed for reflection. But if you don’t have green space around you, don’t let it stop you from getting out there and taking a walk.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS…
When you are changing careers there can be a lot of pressure on you. You are holding down a full time job, while exploring all your options and then planning how you will actually make all your ideas come to life, and also trying to convince those around you that what you want to do is the right thing.
Walking allows you the headspace to think about it all, away from your home and office pressures. It gives you time to learn and be creative and can help you become positive and have a strong mindset about your decisions. On top of that you can enjoy being a lot healthier, a bit fitter, having more energy and some fun along the way.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Walking linked to lower dementia risk, study finds
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/walking-linked-to-lower-dementia-risk-study-finds-2r2tgwh9l
Benefits of walking: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261
Stepping Up Your Creativity:
https://brainworldmagazine.com/stepping-creativity-walking-meditation-creative-brain/
