Passage I

The Joys of Walking

While some people are exhilarated by vigorous exercise, I am not. I love feeling fit, but I hate working out. I’ve tried dozens of different fitness activities, but all of them leave me bored, sore, or frustrated by my inability to do them well and how boring they were. [1]

Finally, I made a deal with myself. Each day I would try to find time for a half-hour walk. Fitting it into my schedule whenever I could. Running errands and visiting friends if I walked would take longer to my destination, but I consoled myself with virtuous thoughts of how my body could benefit from the effort.

A funny thing happened on my way to fitness. [5] While I usually felt physically invigorated by my walks, even more satisfying were the psychological rewards. Walking cleared my head and brightened my spirits in a way no other exercise routine ever had.

[1] Walking slowed my often frenetic pace. [2] I was trying to go too fast. [3] In spring, I'd rejoice in the first crocuses emerging out the snow, the faint misting of green on tree branches just beginning to bud, the colorful explosion of tulips and daffodils. [4] I anticipated crisp fall days and the crackle of leaves in my path. [5] As the lushness of summer gradually unfolded, I noticed for what seemed like the first time the homey smell of freshly mown grass and the warmth of sunlight on my face. [6] Even in bitter winter, I treasured my walking time, and after a stressful day a stroll to decompress myself was often craved, I found. [10]

I've thought many times of the instinctive way our bodies respond to the beat of music by wanting to get up and dance, or how a parent quiets a crying baby by walking back and forth. I think that at some deep level we humans need steady rhythmic, movement to feel centered and content.

So now when I want to escape the busyness of my life, I take a walk. No matter how far I go, I know that I will return refreshed in both body and mind.