My sweetheart Marilyn and I had just returned from a fabulous bike touring vacation  in Quebec, cycling the Véloroute des Bleuets and we were needing to ease back into our regular lives. Our legs were still humming from lots of biking and we wanted to keep that good feeling flowing.

We could have gone for a paddle in our kayaks, or ridden bikes some more miles (though our seats were weary from long days on a bike), or hiked up a nearby mountain (which I really enjoy, Marilyn not so much . . . Hills, or, more specifically, hills at the speed I like to climb them, are her nemesis. . .)

Also, we didn’t have a lot of time available, and we didn’t want to travel far. So, on a beautiful fall morning when we had to be somewhere else anyway, we simply  laced up our shoes, threw a water bottle and a snack into a daypack and took a brisk walk on a recreation path along a river near the place we had to be. In less than an hour and a half, we covered about four miles, enjoyed beautiful views along the river, saw other people and dogs enjoying the popular part of the path and squirrels, ducks, and three deer enjoying the quiet beyond where most people stop walking.

So much fun for so little time invested! Good exercise, too We wondered why we don’t just go walking more often.

Most of us take walking for granted. For some sad people, it’s something to be avoided. For others, usually those who are super fit, it’s too easy and they’d rather be running instead.  For those folks not physically able to do it, I imagine walking seems like a very big deal. But for most of us walking is just, well, ordinary.

Personally, I think walking is a miracle. The simple act of placing one foot in front of the other until you get where you want to go can change your life for the better in so many ways.  It can help you maintain a healthy body weight, improve your heart function, control diabetes and high blood pressure, reduce stress, sleep better, enjoy life, bring you closer to other people, yourself, your world. Quite an impressive list for something so simple that most of us don’t even think about it.

I’m not even talking about heavy duty walking up mountains and through the wilderness (which I admit I prefer), but just brisk, steady walking anywhere outdoors that interests you.  Ambling and strolling can be fun, too, but brisk is better for you.

Notice, too, that  I said outdoors? That’s important! Yes, some people walk on treadmills in gyms or around malls and indoor tracks for exercise but, frankly, they are cheating themselves. Walking on a flat, smooth, entirely predictable indoor surface doesn’t exercise  all the collateral muscles you need for balance and maneuvering if you walk outdoors.

Also, walking indoors  or on a treadmill doesn’t engage your senses in the same way—even if you are listening to music or watching TV. There’s no smell of earth or frost-touched grapes , no hint of woodsmoke on cool air, no sudden glimpse of a bird or animal moving in the woods, no stunning view across an open field or river. You don’t hear the leaves rustling and the birds calling.  You don’t feel the fresh breeze or the rocks under your feet; you can’t reach out and touch the texture of tree bark. Outdoors is definitely where it’s at for walking.

Walking outdoors lets you experience your world in a way you simply can’t if you block your ears with an iPod, close your eyes and walk on a treadmill.  Taking a walk will breathe some life back into your life. Guaranteed!

Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out, take a walk, and enjoy!

No Place to Walk, You Say?

Sorry, I don’t believe it.

We live on a fairly busy road, not very pleasant for walking. It would be very easy to say that there’s no place to walk here without having to get into the car and drive.

But one of the first things we discovered when we moved here is a very quiet back road that intersects our busy road about a quarter mile from our driveway. That road leads directly to a park-like network of paths that lets us walk for miles if we want. There are also two conservation areas and public forests nearby. See? Plenty of places to walk that we wouldn’t know about if we hadn’t gone looking.

I’ll make a bet with you: Find your house on a map. DeLorme Atlases are great for this if you still like paper maps or you can easily use Google Maps or Mapquest. Draw a one-mile circle around your house or zoom in to about that scale. Somewhere within that circle, I’ll bet you can find an interesting place to walk. Maybe it’s a quiet neighborhood, or a side road; maybe it’s a recreation path or a park.  It’s a rare spot indeed that doesn’t have somewhere to walk.  You just have to be willing to look and explore.

Even if you are one of those true unfortunates who don’t have a spot to walk near home, keep a tiny daypack with a water bottle, snacks and, maybe, a pair of trekking poles or nordic walking poles and a comfortable pair of walking shoes or trail runners in your car or suitcase.  If you are going somewhere anyway, build in some extra time, look for a fun walk wherever you are. That kind of adventure will make your life better in more ways that you can count.