Thursday, February 19, 2015

Walk With Me - 5 Reasons I Love Walking

I live in a very walkable neighborhood.  Across the street is a sprawling world-famous park and bird sanctuary.  A few blocks to the South lies the Strait of Juan de Fuca which provides a natural border between my province of B.C. and Washington State. If I walk a few blocks North I find the provincial museum and provincial legislature buildings as I near the city core and ‘downtown’.  And behind me, to the West, is the entrance to the Inner Harbour. It is an eclectic, funky, old neighborhood and I have come to love it dearly.

I have always enjoyed walking.  Even when The Captain and I lived on our sailboat and would spend days on end anchored in some quiet little cove, we would make sure to take the dinghy to shore and enjoy a long walk or hike on whatever island was nearby.  During the Winters that we spent in a rural area near Port Ludlow, WA, we made sure to get out for several walks every day... along the country roads or in the nearby towns.


5 Reasons I Love Walking

Here are my top 5 reasons to put on my walking shoes and head outdoors.

1.  It is a mood enhancer.

Walking outside always gets my blood flowing and elevates the endorphin levels.  Even if I go out tired or a bit cranky or stressed, I feel much better if I go out for a walk.  I am likely to meet and greet many others in my area out enjoying the day… and will always encounter a dog or two to pet as well. 

2. It is a great way to get from one place to another.

Yes, I do occasionally use the car to fill up the freezer at Costco, or head up-Island to my favorite hairdresser… but I can do may daily marketing and errands on foot.  I could easily live in this neighborhood without a vehicle and do all of my errands and shopping by walking.  Most of the time I do… post office, library, groceries, gym, farmer’s market… I even work within walking distance of our home.  We walk to the tennis court. to Starbuck’s, to the doctor’s office and to the wine shop.  It’s so nice to NOT have to look for a parking spot and pay a meter.

3. It is a good workout or workout finisher.

I almost always go for a walk after I have done a strength workout.  It is a good way to stretch out my legs and burn a few more calories.  I believe it helps keep me flexible andiIt offers a natural transition from workout to cool down.  Walking can be a good cardio workout on its own as well.

4.  It is a nice way to explore the world around me.

My neighborhood is constantly changing.  There are new flowers blooming. Cruise ships and freighters come and go along the Strait.  There are old homes being renovated.  There are new dogs to meet.  There are baby peacocks and ducklings in the park. I love to be outside exploring on foot.  I can stop and take pictures, or dart across the street to inspect a new garden.  Walking allows me to vary my speed and my route at will.

5. It is a friendly social activity.

Quite often The Captain and I walk together and we talk and talk about everything under the Sun.  We make plans.  We recall great memories.  We point out things to each other as we stroll along.  And we walk with friends, too.  It is such a nice way of being together… casual and friendly. I have even conducted business meetings on foot.

What about you?  Do you love to walk too?

15 comments:

  1. I love to walk if I am with a friend but have a hard time if I am just by myself;)

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  2. I love to walk too! I try to walk every day, whether I run or not, but with these shorter days, it has been challenging. I'm ready for evening walks after dinner again!! Lucky you to live within walking distances of all those great places!!

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  3. I love to Walk.I Walk daily Early Morning 5 o'clock for One hours.By Walking I keep long my Body from Medicine.I agree with you.Thanks for sharing

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  4. I could not agree more!!! I know I'm a runner, but walking is such a huge part of my life too. I always feel a little calmer and more settled after a walk

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  5. I love a good walk :) I try to do at least a little bit with my dog every day (she's a chihuahua who loves to run so my walk is definitely a power walk)

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  6. LOVE walking! I live in a city, so it's easy to walk where I need to go. I have a rule that if it will take 40 minutes or less to get there walking, I'll walk! Unless of course it's negative degrees out like right now haha

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  7. I love walking too, in good weather its one of my favourite things to do. My husband thinks its boring so I go on a lot of solo walks which is a nice time to think.

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  8. I love walking. I can't wait until the weather is warmer so I can start going on walks with the family again.

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  9. A walk is always a great family activity. I love being able to go for a walk with my husband and our dog. Too bad its way too cold right now for us to walk anywhere, which is one of the many reasons why I cannot wait for Spring to get here.

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  10. I love walking!! It is so nice just to enjoy your surroundings and relax, plus it is a great way to be active everyday. When the weather starts to improve my husband and I like to take walks after dinner.

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  11. I love to walk! Well when the weather is nicer I do. I especially love walking over to our community garden in spring. Now wait: is that pic of you recent? You have green grass and flowers??? We are so far from that it's ridiculous. Enjoy it!

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  12. I used to walk all the time when the kids were little. Now I seem to either be running for exercise or driving to get someplace. I need to get back to walking when the weather warms up...

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  13. I love taking walks with my kids. It is such fun to search for things in nature on our walks. Going for a walk in the sunchsine and fresh air can be so refreshing!

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  14. I love walking! Once it gets warmer, my mom and I like to go on walks in our town to just chat and catch up. Same with one of my best friends. What's better than being active and social at the same time!?

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  15. I love walking. It's so relaxing and it's something anyone can do which makes it totally inclusive.

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