The benefits of walking
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Doctors often talk about walking as a form of exercise for being healthier. For maintaining health, and as preventative for certain illnesses and diseases. Every time new studies come out, there are more benefits found for just how much it really helps.
If there was ever a simple magic solution for overall better health, it would be walking 30-60 minutes a day.
Mental health
But it doesn’t just stop at the physical benefits. Walking also helps with bilateral stimulation, which is what happens when both sides of the brain are actively engaged. This often occurs while we’re sleeping, with our eyes moving left and right. It is also used for EMDR therapy, for traumatic memories and reducing anxiety.
So walking helps clear your head and process your thoughts, and can be a form of meditation to help reduce stress.
Thinking creatively
The book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work covers the creative habits of 161 well-known creators. One common theme that stands out is how they use walking to help them think. From Aristotle, to Charles Darwin, Einstein, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, the list goes on. Research has found that creative output was increased by an average of 60% when walking.
Walking helps with the creative process, both during the walk, and afterward.