Walking is the most straightforward exercise. Anybody who can do it as long as they are willing to. Sure, it can be a bit tiresome to take a walk from point A to point B, but that is entirely the point of the activity. Today’s world has been so focused on minimizing the mechanical actions in our daily life that it has become unhealthy. Thus, it is now more than ever that we must find a way to make our bodies work. Doing so otherwise may reduce our bodies into nothing but massive sentient blobs of flesh.
A children’s book by Walter Hoge called Easter: McEaster Valley emphasizes the benefits of walking. One of the messages it promotes is that the simple act of walking can get us back in touch with Mother Nature. Now isn’t that something? For the past few years, humans have become so focused on developing technology we have forgotten the toll these development costs on our Mother Nature. Uncontrollable and disastrous forest fires, massive typhoons, record-breaking typhoons, and heatwaves are too much for the human body to handle. These are just a few things that show the cost of our constant exploitation of Mother Nature Earth.
Now, what does walking have to do with this stuff? Can walking even help to reverse the damage that the whole of humanity has done to the planet?
Walking for Awareness
For starters, waking can help us build an appreciation for nature, and a small appreciation can go a long way. An appreciation for nature can make us aware of its beauty. We learn to see the beauty and wonder of it all. In turn, we slowly feel wrong about any of the ills that happen to them. Awareness builds appreciation. Appreciation turns into fondness. And in the end, the taste will turn into action. Therefore, a simple understanding can go a long way toward developing mother nature.
Walking to Help Fight for the Environment
Walking also has the side benefit of reducing a single person’s harmful emissions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger vehicle will emit about 4.6 metric tons of Carbon dioxide per year. Imagine if this number is reduced due to a “growing fad of walking” Wouldn’t that become a significant number? Should the world adopt the trend, then indeed, in a year or two, this damage will become negligent to non-existence.
Walking for the Benefit of the Human Body
Then there is the added benefit the one doing the walking can receive while doing the exercise. Walking is well known to have multiple benefits. For starters, it is an exercise, and dedicating just thirty to forty-five minutes of your time per day constantly can already help your body prevent hypertension, heart attack, and diabetes, among other benefits. Walking can help you lose weight. Walking is simply healthy.
Walking for the Benefit of the Human Mind
The benefits of walking are not limited to physical attributes. It also helps in the mental aspect. For most, walking can also become an exercise in the presence of the mind, and by extension, it can also be an act of meditation. Walking for pleasure allows the mind to relax and rest. During the duration of the exercise, walking can distract the mind away from the worries of everyday life and focus on the activity in front of the person. It can help train the mind to be active and focused.
Conclusion
Walking, while a straightforward exercise, can take us on many beautiful journeys. These journeys can include an appreciation for the present time and the whole of the natural world. These journeys can also help us preserve nature and provide us with a small way to assist in the fight against climate change. Lastly, walking has benefits that help boost mental health.
All in all, walking is not only a small exercise. Instead, it is an exercise that brings excellent effects on the self and the environment. While it might not be an excellent solution for all of the world’s problems, it can help lead the way towards a brighter future.
Wandering Will 