{"id":12106,"date":"2020-12-19T13:17:09","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T05:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/?p=12106"},"modified":"2020-12-19T13:21:52","modified_gmt":"2020-12-19T05:21:52","slug":"why-is-walking-excellent-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/why-is-walking-excellent-for-you","title":{"rendered":"Why is Walking Excellent For You"},"content":{"rendered":"

What defines us as humans? Our opposable thumbs? Our large brains? Our language skills?<\/span><\/p>\n

Those may all play a part, but there\u2019s one more factor that\u2019s often overlooked: our ability to walk.<\/span><\/p>\n

The way humans walk \u2013 upright, on two legs \u2013 is unique to us as a species. It\u2019s a big part of who we are. These days, however, we seem to be walking less and less. Instead, we use cars to shuttle ourselves around, from the bed to the office to the sofa.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article will explain why walking less is a serious mistake \u2013 one that can have negative effects on both our physical and mental health. I will also highlight some of the many ways you can benefit from standing up, leaving the house, and taking a stroll.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving around might seem simple, but it requires brain power<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In this article, we\u2019re going to be talking about how humans walk. But first, let\u2019s consider a very different creature: the humble sea squirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

In its early stages of development, the sea squirt darts around in rock pools in search of food. To facilitate this movement, the young sea squirt develops one eye, a brain, and a spinal cord.<\/span><\/p>\n

But then, one day, the sea squirt undergoes a pretty major transition. It finds a rock, attaches itself to it, and never moves again. Stuck in place, it then eats its brain, eye, and spinal cord. It just doesn\u2019t need them anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why are we telling you this? Well, the lesson the sea squirt teaches us is this: if you don\u2019t move around, you might as well eat your brain \u2013 literally.<\/span><\/p>\n

OK, sure. But humans aren\u2019t quite the same as sea squirts! Right? Actually, we might be a little closer than you\u2019d imagine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developmental biologists recently compared the genes of two seemingly different species: the little skate \u2013 a type of fish \u2013 and the mouse. And it turns out they share many genes related to movement. These shared genes determine their spinal cords, the placement of their limbs or fins, and the nearby muscles and nerves. This research shows that genes relating to walking stretch so far back in evolutionary history that they mostly developed underwater.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, although we share so much with our ancestors, human walking is unique. Even our closest relatives, apes, generally use all four limbs. So why did we evolve to be upright? Well, our method of walking on two legs is more efficient. We can cover greater distances and carry stuff as we go \u2013 whether it\u2019s children, weapons, or food.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet as efficient as it might be, walking on two legs is hard. When they\u2019re learning, toddlers take an average of 2,368 steps \u2013 and 17 falls \u2013 per hour. And robots have yet to fully excel at human-style walking.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have our brains to thank for mastering this complex task. One thing the brain is particularly good at is staying balanced. It does this via inertial guidance, which means it\u2019s continuously calculating to calibrate our position. Trace the line from the corner of your eye to your ear canal; your brain will always try to keep this line parallel with the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not every aspect of walking is controlled by the brain, though. The spinal cord handles the central pattern generators that control the rhythmic patterns we need for breathing, the beating of the heart, and walking.<\/span><\/p>\n

The spinal cord, you\u2019ll recall, is another thing the adult sea squirt eats once it\u2019s secured to its rock. We humans, though, make the most of our ability to move around. You could say walking rocks!<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists are slowly working out how our sense of direction works<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not just the mechanics of walking that requires brain power. There\u2019s also the question of how we actually know where to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good few years ago, before the age of smartphones. You have to walk from North London \u2013 Highgate, to be precise \u2013 all the way back to your home in Streatham, which is a long way south. You don\u2019t have a map.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you do it? Well, essentially, you channel your inner homing pigeon. Dead reckoning, otherwise known as path integration, is our innate ability to move in the right general direction toward a destination.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as for how that works \u2013 scientists are only just coming to grips with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Several studies have proven that our spatial sense is not greatly affected by our ability to see. In tests measuring a sense of direction, blindfolded people and people with visual impairments performed similarly to those with \u201cnormal\u201d sight.<\/span><\/p>\n

The neuroscientist John O\u2019Keefe has made some pioneering discoveries regarding how the brain determines where we are. He discovered that when rats wander to a place they know, particular cells around the brain\u2019s hippocampus light up. Different cells light up when they move somewhere else. These are known as place cells \u2013 they tell us where we are. Humans have them too, and they work most effectively when we walk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further research has revealed even more fascinating types of cells in the brain that help us get around. Head-direction cells are essentially an inner compass, indicating our orientation. There are also cells that respond to nearby objects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, the brain more or less has its own GPS network, constantly updating itself as we walk around.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s more important than ever that our cities are walkable<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Say you take a trip to Italy, and you\u2019re sitting outside one evening. You may well see locals taking what they call a passeggiata \u2013 a stroll through the neighborhood, where they chat with friends and neighbors. It\u2019s a wonderfully sociable and calm end to the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given our boxed-in, busy daily lives, it\u2019s especially important to have a moment of calm like that as part of your daily routine. But, unfortunately, our cities don\u2019t make it easy for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over half the global population lives in cities and urban areas \u2013 and that will probably rise to 80 or 90 percent by 2050. Urban planners have tended to respond to this by prioritizing traffic flow through cities \u2013 and paying little heed to walking. This is the opposite of what we really need.<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes a city walkable?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First off, there need to be amenities like shops and schools within walking distance of where people live. What\u2019s more, the quality of walks around the city must be high \u2013 that means comfortable, safe, and interesting. The streets should almost be like living rooms, pleasingly decorated.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, of course, there needs to be plenty of green space \u2013 think Hyde Park in London, Central Park in New York, or Cubbon Park in Bangalore.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last but not least, a walkable city should factor in the aging population. Road crossings in particular should be designed so that older people can get around with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n

This might all sound like a nice-to-have \u2013 rather than a true \u2013 priority. But the benefits of a walkable city are huge. Easy access to shops and offices leads to more economic activity. So does the act of walking itself: some economists have shown there\u2019s a negative correlation between how much time you spend in a car and your economic productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

With sensible city planning that factors in the benefits of walking, the passeggiata doesn\u2019t have to be an exclusively Italian phenomenon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking really can be the best medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about how you feel after a long day at the office, or after being stuck at home all day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most likely, you feel a little grumpy \u2013 and there\u2019s scientific evidence to back this up. Your personality actually changes when you don\u2019t move around. Less physical activity leads to lower levels of extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. So it\u2019s not just change \u2013 it\u2019s change for the worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Precisely what is it about inactivity that causes this change? The science isn\u2019t clear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the ancient physician Hippocrates who said walking was the best medicine; perhaps he\u2019d have some stern words today for those of us who spend all day cooped up at home or in our offices. A US study found that people spent an average of 87 percent of their time in those sorts of artificial environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to measure, but research does indicate that spending time walking, especially outdoors, is good for feelings of well-being. According to one study, future cases of depression could be lowered by around 12 percent if everyone spent just one hour a week doing physical activity. Another UK study showed that visiting natural environments, like the countryside or green spaces, really does lead to people feeling mentally \u201crestored.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking and other types of exercise have positive effects on brain function, too. The act of regular walking plays a part in the production of new brain cells that help with memory and learning. Plus, there\u2019s the effect that walking has on our muscles: a relationship that can be summed up with the phrase \u201cuse it, or lose it.\u201d The body simply doesn\u2019t bother maintaining muscles that don\u2019t get regular use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any exercise is good, then, but in terms of well-being, exercise in the open air really does seem to be best. A study in Ottawa, Canada, asked people to walk the same distance via two different routes. Some walked by the riverside, while the others walked through a tunnel. After the walk, they were asked to rate their moods; those who had walked outside scored notably higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, whether you want to build new brain cells, stimulate your muscles, or just feel a bit better, the solution is the same: go for a walk outdoors \u2013 the greener the better!<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking boosts creativity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 1843, the Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton<\/a> was working in the field of complex numbers \u2013 but he was stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, however, Hamilton had the habit of taking long, two-hour walks every day, strolling to work in the center of Dublin. And it was on one of these walks that inspiration struck:<\/span><\/p>\n

i<\/span>2<\/span> = j<\/span>2<\/span> = k<\/span>2<\/span> = ijk = \u20131<\/span><\/p>\n

That was it \u2013 the breakthrough he needed. He whipped out his penknife and carved the formula into the bridge where he was standing. It was a moment of inspiration; the formula is still fundamental to the study of complex numbers in three-dimensional space.<\/span><\/p>\n

These days, mathematicians hold a \u201cHamilton walk\u201d on October 16 every year to commemorate his breakthrough.<\/span><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s all because of walking!<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking has inspired all sorts of creativity \u2013 not just mathematical breakthroughs. \u201cThe moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow,\u201d said Henry David Thoreau. William Wordsworth\u2019s poem \u201cTintern Abbey\u201d was written during a long walk, as well. \u201cOnly thoughts reached by walking have value,\u201d was how Friedrich Nietzsche put it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But why does walking have this effect? The answer, as you might have guessed, lies in your brain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your brain has two modes: an active mode and a default mode. When your brain is in active mode, it\u2019s focusing on a task, doing stuff in detail \u2013 counting something, for example. In default mode, your mind is free to wander, exploring and processing memories. That\u2019s not as frivolous as it sounds; it\u2019s vital for keeping your brain in order and your thinking sharp.<\/span><\/p>\n

Evidence suggests that creativity occurs when these two modes of thinking occur simultaneously. And walking is a great way to encourage the brain to do exactly that. Walking \u2013 or more specifically, spatial navigation \u2013 stimulates the part of the brain around the hippocampus, which is also the part of the brain that\u2019s active in memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking might not help with uncreative problems like mathematical calculations. But for creative problem-solving, like coming up with a novel mathematical formula, walking can help greatly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard people say you should \u201csleep on\u201d a difficult question \u2013 but why not also try \u201cwalking on\u201d it? Next time you have a challenging problem to solve at work, give it a go.<\/span><\/p>\n

At its heart, walking is social<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not all walking is a solitary activity in which your mind can wander. In fact, walking is deeply, fundamentally social. Mark Twain knew it. \u201cThe supreme pleasure\u201d of walking, he wrote, \u201ccomes from the talk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s science to back this up, too. One study found that elderly people who walked for around 150 minutes each week were more socially active; they also had higher levels of well-being compared to elderly people who walked less. Walking is also a crucial step in young children\u2019s social development \u2013 once they can walk, they both play and vocalize a lot more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even some solo walks have a social aspect. Think of pilgrimages<\/a>. People may undertake them alone, but there\u2019s still a deeper sense of solidarity there. They unite the walker with others who share the same faith or cause. Even a solo city walk, in fact, is defined by the people and crowds you encounter along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

But walking together with others is perhaps especially important, and also scientifically interesting. Have you ever noticed how you and your fellow walkers tend to synchronize your steps? This is totally normal in group walking \u2013 yet it\u2019s based on a highly complex brain process that involves predicting what the rest of your group is going to do next. This is something else that robots still can\u2019t do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being in a large group has even been shown to cause a psychological high \u2013 marching in a protest or attending a concert has a positive mental effect, at least in the short term.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, to reiterate, it\u2019s high time we start valuing our ability to walk! This applies to all of us individually \u2013 we must make sure to get out of the house or office and stimulate our muscles and brains to reap the mental and physical benefits. But it also applies to government policymakers and town planners, as well as people working in health care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our cities should also reflect this, rather than holding walkers back as they so often do. Spaces should be green, and roads should be pedestrian-friendly. Walking is a central part of what makes us human. And, as we\u2019ve seen, it\u2019s good for us \u2013 in more ways than we could have imagined.<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walking is excellent for us in all kinds of different ways, providing benefits to both our bodies and our brains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The complex science behind how humans walk reveals a process that boosts our mood, creativity, and sociability. All of us \u2013 including city planners \u2013 should pay more attention to the benefits of a good walk.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What defines us as humans? Our opposable thumbs? Our large brains? Our language skills? Those may all play a part, but there\u2019s one more factor that\u2019s often overlooked: our ability to walk. The way humans walk \u2013 upright, on two legs \u2013 is unique to us as a species. It\u2019s a big part of who […]\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12106"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}