Planning on Ambling

Walking is obviously good for our waistlines. Rambling after dinner can help keep the calories from that slice of pie from immediately ballooning the part of our body where it is least desirable for them to affix themselves.

The cognitive benefits of taking a walk are less well-known, but since our mental health is as important as our physical state, equally important.

Make it a habit to start taking walks now, inside or outside, no matter what, and you’ll establish a habit that you’ll keep whatever comes your way.

The benefits of physical movement

Our brain processes information most effectively and creatively when we’re walking and after we’ve gone for a walk, either inside or outdoors. Walk back from the company cafeteria to your desk; you’ll work off a little of the lunch you’ve just finished as well perform better cognitively when you return to work.

It’s important to recognize that the fact that we’re walking around can make us healthier, and when we’re healthier, our cognitive processes work more effectively. Even a walk that’s not long enough or strenuous enough to really work some inches off of our often-tubby tummies can help with our circulation and prevent blood from pooling in our feet, for example.

Beyond the effects linked to being in better health, walking does directly amp up our brain’s ability to understand and effectively deal with our world. For example, we think more clearly while walking, and our memory function, in particular, improves when we’re walking at our own pace.

Walking also boosts our mood, which means we get along better with those around us, for instance.

As compelling as walking’s effects on our mood are, its implications for how we solve problems and resolve outstanding issues are just as significant. After we’ve taken a walk, even inside, on or off a treadmill, we are more creative, which is often handy, whether we’re developing an advertising campaign or trying to determine what to do with our hair.

When we have the opportunity to walk with someone, social bonds build between us and our walk-mate. Those social links can lead to friendships or improved performance among teammates, or both, or other outcomes that benefit our societies at a macro or micro level.

As we craft a new way of living, getting along with others, clear thinking, and creativity are going to smooth the process of moving from now into a more positive future.

Moving through nature is often more strenuous than inside walking (and therefore has even more positive health effects for most of us), and it also annihilates stress levels while mentally revitalizing us after we’ve worn down our cognitive processing power via focused thinking.

Walking from place to place, inside or outside, whenever we can, is good for what goes on in our heads as well as our health. Get a move on whenever you can.