The power of walking 01

The power of walking 01

Hi Wild Ones… my reminder for you today is to walk. Walking upright on two feet is one of our great special human gifts. It’s one of the major differences between us and any other mammal.
Walking, instead of sitting around, mobilizes our bodies and our metabolism. It really does us good. It seems as if our genes need us to do it, and with exception of the last historically tiny bit of time, we’ve always been doing it.

Walking has been our daily human task for millions of years, including the last 200 000 years of being just about what we are right now. In fact, even as we stopped hunting and gathering and began growing crops and keeping animals, we still had a lot of moderate moving around to do. Sitting jobs, couches and TVs haven’t been around all that long, neither have forms of transportation to laze around in, at least not for everyone.

Up to about 10 000 years ago, when we were all still hunters and gatherers, we would spend hours a day walking around, gathering roots and fruits, herbs and wild veggies, wood for fire and other materials needed to create tools. Others would be out hunting, sometimes tracking game for miles, or covering long distances checking up on traps, or even patrolling the area for other tribes or dangerous predators, so that they could react in time to protect their people.

Hunter-gatherers today walk about 4 to 12 kilometres a day on exactly these tasks and it does them good! Studies have shown clearly that a walk out in nature calms us down, helps free our minds of molesting thoughts and has a positive affect on our metabolism and blood-pressure. We release Stress and tension and recover, this also has a positive impact on our immune-system.

Practice and do your self some good by getting into the habit of walking everyday, whenever you have the time and chance. Walk 2 km instead of driving or taking the bus, use the stairs instead of the elevator, Pack your groceries in a backpack and go shopping by foot, and so on. It’ll raise your vitality, and you’ll feel more engaged and awake.

Get outside and move to your roots!
wild-horse 07/2017