Unexpected benefits of walking…
I have been walking 10,500 or more steps every day since March 25. Well, there were two or three days when I had a little less than 10k. Otherwise I have been over that for more than four months. That’s about five miles a day, sometimes more.
This isn’t one of those posts that says, “I walked 10,500 steps every day for four months, and this is what happened to my body.”
I was working out regularly prior to that. But when the COVID lockdown started in mid-March (in Oregon), I shifted my exercise mainly to walking. My goal initially was to walk that number of steps for 30 days. I did that, without missing any, so I decided to go another 30 days. Then another, and another. It has pretty much become a habit now. Whether raining (like it does in Oregon in the spring), or heat (upper 90s lately, which is pretty hot for Portland), I go for my walk every day.
Yes, I imagine it has been good for my body. We know that walking is good for you.
But I’ll talk about the physical benefits some other time.
Walking regularly is a great way to get to know your town, and the area near your house.
I just walk, I don’t run. I really don’t enjoy running, at least not anymore. Kudos to those who do!
I notice things differently when I’m on foot. Little paths and byways appear, that I don’t see from a car. The texture of the streets and sidewalks appears. Little details on houses or buildings stand out, ones that I have passed dozens of times.
I don’t take the same route every day, but mix it up and explore new areas. Mine is your basic older suburban neighborhood. Our own house is nearly 60 years old (not quite as old as me). Some of the houses I pass are probably 70-100 years old, maybe more. I like to imagine the families that lived in some of them in the 1930s, or 40s. What were their Christmas celebrations like? Did some of them have “Gold Stars” in the windows during World War II? Had some of them lost a loved one serving in the war?
I’m noticing the various bits of “wild” areas right here in our own town.
There is a small creek that runs through town, with wetlands and patches of wooded areas all along it. The parks department has created a paved walking path that follows much of it. I walk that sometimes.
But I’ve found some other paths and service roads that crisscross in places not so well-known. Some places I can look around and not see a house in any direction, right here in town. It is easy to imagine that I’m somewhere out in the country.
I know where to find ripe blackberries, and where the beavers and nutria like to hang out.
It has been fun to see the goose and duck families in the wetlands areas. They raised up their youngsters from chicks back in March; now they’re adolescent goslings nearly the size of their parents.
I made an interesting discovery a few days ago.
There is near here one of these areas near a railroad track that runs through town. A service road cuts through some woods and fields and comes out into an office park and parking lot. This is a wetland area between the tracks and the creek, scrubby with patches of trees and blackberry bushes. I tramped through the small field just to see where the creek lay. Before me lay the remnants of this old stone and brick fireplace in a small copse of trees.
This is all that remains of what must have been some homestead or farmhouse. There is nothing left of the building. It is hard to tell how old the structure may have been. I’m guessing around the turn of the 20th century. Perhaps even a bit older than that, from the look of it. I look at these stones and bricks and imagine who may have lived here. Who may have gathered around for warmth, perhaps for cooking? Did they have children? Was this now overgrown field their play and work area? The small creek would likely have been an attraction for kids, catching tadpoles and whatnot.
One other benefit of walking every day is that I’ve listened to many hours of e-books and podcasts. My “reading” time has increased, and on all kinds of subjects!
These are some things I’ve gained just from walking around my town. You should give it a try in yours 🙂
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Related posts:
Why does time pass so quickly?
Other resources on the benefits of walking
Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise–nbcnews.com
Walking: your steps to health (Harvard Medical School)
