The Unexpected Benefits of Walking

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

I thought I’d regale you with a bit of J.R.R. Tolkien poetry from The Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter: Three is Company) to begin this post. Many who read the books are more familiar with the first verse from this poem entitled “The Road Goes Ever On,” but I’ve always liked this verse best. It is sung by the hobbits as they are leaving the shire for the town of Bree and the Prancing Pony Inn, just before encountering a party of elves.

I have always thought of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as one long pedestrian adventure. Sure, the hobbits ride ponies (or Ents) every so often and Pippin unwillingly rides upon Shadowfax with Gandalf for a time, but by and large, they are on foot throughout the entire tale.  And they lived happily ever after to the end of their days. There’s something to that I think.

The benefits of walking are numerous and there is no downside so long as one checks with their doctor first and walks in a safe location. Here’s a list of those benefits from walking 30 minutes per day at least four days per week at a moderate to brisk pace…

• Increase cardiovascular (heart and lungs) fitness
• Strengthens bones
• Reduces excess body fat
• Improves muscle power and endurance
• Reduces joint and muscular pain and stiffness
• Reduces the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers
• Helps manage certain conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, and depression.
• Improves balance

Walking, aside from the health benefits, is a wonderful exercise for a variety of other reasons. It requires no special equipment (other than a good pair of walking shoes) training or large playing field. It is free and low impact. You can walk any time of day in any type of weather. You can walk at your own pace. Finally, you can have pleasant conversations with your walking companions.

Like Bilbo, Frodo and their fellow pedestrian adventurers, whenever possible, turn your walk into a mini-adventure by walking in different locations such as a trail, nearby park you have never visited, along a body of water, or adjacent neighborhood. Explore your world. If a bit of driving is involved to get to a new location, that’s OK. Another lesson from Tolkien’s Fellowship is to not walk alone. Find some companions who share your desire for adventure and improved health and use them for motivation.

If you are unable, for whatever reason, to meet the 30 minute per session threshold, then start with that as your goal. Begin by walking what you comfortably can, even if that is only five minutes per day for two days a week. The human body is an amazingly adaptable organism. It will, given enough time, improve if you follow the following formula, stress (which is a relative term), rest, repeat.

Eventually, five minutes of walking (the stress) followed by adequate rest will become exceedingly easy. When that happens, it is time to change the “stress” part of the formula by increasing the duration and/or frequency of your walks. Once your body adjusts to the new stress you place upon it, increase it again and so on and so forth. Other ways to increase the intensity of your walk is to increase your pace, walk up hills, use hand weights while walking, incorporate short bursts of speed into your walks, or walk for longer periods of time.

The road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.