Benefits of Taking a Walk That Have Nothing to Do with Weight

The view as I return
home from a walk.

I love to take a walk! Getting outside, feeling the sun, the wind, even the rain on my face lifts my spirits almost every single time. I try to take a walk, even if it's only 10 minutes, at least twice a week. Walking is a simple activity that can do so much for us.

There are multiple reasons I take a walk and none of them have a single thing to do with my weight or my appearance.

Clear my head. Sometimes when I've been working for hours on multiple projects, a quick walk helps to clear my thoughts. It feels almost like a moving meditation that also gets my heart pumping and my limbs moving. When I'm feeling overwhelmed by everything I need to do in a day, a quick walk often makes that task list seem much less daunting. When I clear my head, it's easier to get back to work.

Spend time with a friend. I walk with a friend one day a week, almost every week. After those walks I always feel more connected and more focused. Her dogs walk with us, and I get to enjoy their company as well as she and I talk about a variety of topics as well as what's going on in our lives. It's a nice way to connect that doesn't involve food or spending money. We can concentrate on our conversation while getting in some movement and getting our heart rates up, at least a little bit.

Get moving. Writing requires a lot of time sitting at a desk. Sometimes I sit so long my legs feel numb or stiff and my back and neck hurt. Going for a walk helps to get my limbs moving and gets my torso into the movement as well. Being in one position for too long is never good for the body or frankly for the mind either. So by getting moving, I give my body and my mind a chance to work more optimally.

Get a Vitamin D boost. Getting outside, particularly when the sun is out, for ten minutes is a great way to boost one's Vitamin D. I live in the Pacific NW where Vitamin D deficiencies are quite common, so I take a Vitamin D supplement. Still, getting outside, particularly on a sunny day, is a great way to naturally get my body producing Vitamin D!

Charity. Yes, that's right, you can earn money for charity by taking a walk. I use two apps, Charity Miles and Walk For A Dog, that track my miles for sponsors to donate to two charities. I chose Stand Up to Cancer for this year's charity on the Charity Miles app. In the past, I've walked for Habitat for Humanity and Girl Up. I walk for Safehaven Humane Society on my Walk For A Dog app. A couple of clicks and my miles help someone else! I find that very cool!

Pick up trash. Okay, I want to be better about incorporating this one because I often don't remember until I see some icky piece of trash that I'm not about to touch with my bare hands! But sometimes I take a bag and pair of gardening gloves with me and pick up trash as I walk. I use an app called Litterati to report where litter is found. They track where litter is found and share it on social media as well as with companies to nudge companies toward adopting better packaging options and creating less litter in the world.

See the world outside. While this might sound strange, there's a point. I work inside at a desk all day as do many other people. It can be easy to forget that our neighborhoods are filled with people, dogs, cats, birds, trees, flowers, and myriad other things to see. Taking a moment to get in touch with the world outside can remind us that there is more to the world than the bubbles we tend to live in. It can remind us the importance of clean air and clean water. It can remind us to appreciate fresh air and the scents of nature. It can remind us that we are connected through the world around us.  Perhaps taking a walk will even provide the opportunity to meet those new neighbors we keep wanting to welcome to the neighborhood but haven't yet.

Step away from technology. I tend to take my phone with me because of the aforementioned apps and in case of an emergency, but once I set the apps I rarely look at my phone again until I'm back to the house. Once in a while if I'm in a time crunch, I'll make sure I haven't walked too long, but generally I go so far as turn off the ringer, so I don't get notifications or calls when I walk. A walk helps me step away from my computer or the television or whatever else might be distracting me and keeping me from my work that day. It's generally easier to get back to work when I return from a walk.

Problem Solving. This might sound a little like clearing my head, but it's a bit different. Sometimes if I'm struggling with a poem or a scene in a book or a blog post or even a financial situation like tax preparation, a walk lets me think through options without the pressure of staring at the problem. I can mentally play scenarios for a few minutes and then let it float to the background for a little diffuse mode thinking as described in A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley, Ph. D. Most of the time by the time I get back to my desk I have either a solution or I know where to look for answers to reach the solution.

Increase productivity. Strange how that works. I find that if I'm feeling particularly sluggish and unproductive, a walk often gets me back to my work with a new energy, focus, and determination. Taking a walk is often my best option to get a day that has gone off track back on track.

I've enjoyed taking walks for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, I liked to walk in the woods or walk to the barn and back. Sometimes I'd walk to a neighbor's house or home from a neighbor's house. In college, I started walking with friends to chat, often late at night. I no longer do late night walks, but sometimes I'm tempted. Walking has always been a way for me to take a deep breath, work through my thoughts, and ground myself.

And, now it's time for me to take a walk...