As a running coach, I can tell you that walking is just as essential as running, if not more so. Despite the excitement and challenge of running, you simply can’t skip walking. Actually, Solvitur ambulando, which means “It is solved by walking” in Latin, is the magic spell everyone needs, believe it or not.
You might wonder, “What problems have ever been solved by walking?” Walking is so simple and unexciting, that even the term “pedestrian” itself means both a person on foot and something dull and ordinary.
In our days, the only time we celebrate walking is when a baby is making its first steps. It wasn’t always like this. Writers and philosophers once celebrated walking, with titles like “The Reveries of the Solitary Walker,” “In Praise of Walking,” and “Walking as a Fine Art.” Walking was called “the manly art” and joining the “noble army of walkers” was encouraged.
Did these past enthusiasts know something we don’t? Walking’s simplicity might seem boring, but it could be what reconnects us with life’s basics. Walking upright is a key part of being human, and who wouldn’t benefit from embracing their humanity more often?
Walking: The Universal Activity
Walking is the world’s most democratic activity – it is open to almost everyone, whether young or old, rich or poor. You can walk anywhere: to work, around your neighbourhood, in the city, through a parking lot, or across the countryside. It only requires putting one foot in front of the other. Despite its accessibility, we likely walk less now than ever before.
Making time to walk more often is worthwhile. Here are just 11 “problems” people can “solve,” using the free remedy of a simple walk:
1. Cheap Transportation
It’s a cheap form of transportation. Foot-power requires no money, and no energy source besides a sandwich. Walking from point A to point B is the most basic, primitive function of walking.
2. Prepared for Anything
If walking once again became the only form of transportation available, say during the apocalypse, you will be prepared.
3. Pilgrimage and Purpose
Pilgrimages, usually done on foot, are common in many religions. Walking turns the idea of life as a journey into a real experience with concrete goals and challenges.
4. Discovering Places
Walking is the best way to get to know a place, whether nearby or far away. At a slow pace, you notice details you’d otherwise miss: unique aspects of homes, new plants and creatures in the woods, hidden shops and alleyways in the city, and opportunities to meet locals abroad. Whenever I visit a new place, I love to explore it on foot to take in the sights, sounds, and smells.
5. Inspiration and Creativity
Throughout history, great thinkers in literature, philosophy, and science have found inspiration while walking. This might be because walking in nature, a favourite among many of them, has been shown to improve memory and attention. Or perhaps it’s simply because walking gets the blood flowing, providing a hard-to-quantify boost of energy.
6. Health Benefits
Everyone knows regular exercise is important, but you don’t need a gym or fancy equipment to benefit. Walking is a low-impact activity accessible to nearly everyone. It can lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, strengthen muscles and bones, improve glucose control, prevent and manage diabetes, and decrease the risk of obesity and heart disease.
7. Stress Reduction
Walking is a great way to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. Like other exercises, it releases endorphins that boost mood and reduce stress hormones, but you can walk anywhere, anytime. A brisk 20- to 30-minute walk can be as calming as a mild tranquilizer, and walking daily for half an hour can quickly relieve major depression.
8. Mental Clarity
Walking also clears the mind and refreshes the senses, acting as “meditation in action” that rejuvenates mental fatigue.
9. Cognitive Health
Memory, planning, and cognitive processing decline in tandem with walking ability when we age. People who walk regularly retain more grey matter and suffer less “brain shrinkage” and cognitive impairment than those who walk less.
10. Problem-Solving
Walking together can be an effective way to work through problems or worries with a friend or partner. Being side-by-side while walking offers stress reduction, meditative benefits, and inspiration, enhancing problem-solving abilities. Additionally, the physical sensation of moving forward during a walk can symbolize progress in resolving issues.
11. Injury Recovery and Training for Runners
For runners, walking is an excellent way to maintain fitness and progress after an injury. It allows them to add more kilometers to their legs without the impact of running, which is particularly beneficial when preparing for longer distances. Walking can help build endurance, strengthen muscles, and ease the transition back into running without risking further injury.
So, next time you feel stuck or overwhelmed, remember the ancient wisdom of Solvitur ambulando. Walking might just be the simple, magical solution you need. Embrace the journey, one step at a time!