Happy January 20th 2016. Today's Take a Walk Outdoors Day

Happy National Take A Walk Outdoors Day

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”

Søren Kierkegaard

Walking Out in nature has many health benefits both physical and mental including but not limited to:

1. Reducing Stress

2. Burns Calories

3. Reduce Depression

4. Reduce Negativity

5. Reduces Anger

6. Improves general out look of life

7. Reduces the effects of asthma

8. Weight Loss

9. Strengthens the Immune system

10. Improves blood circulation

Personal experience with walking outdoors.

"As a child I had asthma, I would get winded from running and didn’t enjoy hiking one bit. At the age of 10 I joined a Boy Scouts troop who was known for their hiking trips. At first I didn’t enjoy those hiking trips. I was always the last one, my back pack felt like it was packed with bricks, and I had to stop often to rest and I held up the rest of the troop from getting to our destination in good timing, however after several hiking trips I became a better walker. I didn't walk so slowly anymore. I wasn’t losing my breath as much and I kept up with the group. After I went on some more hiking trips I was at the front of the troop leading the hike. I was enthused about continuing further along the trail and found myself not ready for hike to end. To say the least it was those hiking trips and nature walks that helped reduce the affects asthma had on me, control my breathing, lose weight and deal with the stress of home life. By the age of 13 I began to love walking out in nature. I noticed that it put me into a gentle state of mind, I was calmer, and had more of a positive outlook on life. I started to go on walks in nature on my own not just for exercise but also to better my mood and If I needed to figure things out I found that walking in nature helped me come up with the answers I was looking for. Now nature walks is as much of a part of my life as eating and drinking and I would strongly recommend walking outdoors to anyone not just for your physical health but for the wellbeing of your mental health as well."

William Goldman

There is something special to be said about walks out in nature. Hiking in the woods seems to have a way of reminding you what’s important and that everything will happen when the time is right. Looking at all of those plants and animals move in perfect harmony and noticing that as we walk through nature we become part of that orchestra of motion and sound. One simply does not walk out of nature the same way he/she has walked into nature. There is no doubt that time spent walking out in nature has a long lasting effect on us.

“In order to have peace and joy, you must succeed in having peace within each of your steps. Your steps are the most important thing. They decide everything.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Have you ever noticed most peaceful people enjoyed walking?

Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr. and many others have embraced walking out doors as a calming way of gathering ones thoughts, meditation and making decisions. When walking more blood flows to and from your brain which allows one to think more clearly taking all aspects of a situation into consideration leading to a positive concluding thought.