Dec 11, 2020
The walking cure
You are just a walk away from a good mood.
Top corporates across industries often stress the importance of office ergonomics for their employees. Following those guidelines are considered to be good practice for desk jobs with extended hours of being seated, often taking a toll on the body as well as the mind. In the current Covid-19 scenario, the work from home situation further compels the working class to be glued to their chairs from dawn to dusk in many cases. A similar situation is prevalent for the student community too, leading to stress and gradual burnout. So, the question is, what is the remedy?
For starters, get up from that wretched chair! Move your limbs and start walking. Brisk walks of at least 15–20 minutes duration are proven to uplift the mood, take the focus away from stressful thoughts and even reduce chances of depression.
A study conducted by a Stanford University team demonstrated that cognitive creativity in individuals boosted by up to 60% in students who walked in the experiment in comparison to the test results of those who were sitting. Just a 30 minutes walk around your garden or on the road nearby can help the creative juices flow, improve blood circulation and neural activity along with improved divergent thinking. The list of positive effects daily walking can have on diabetes, cholesterol, weight loss and countless other ailments is beyond the scope of this brief article. Although the Stanford study showed no evidence of improved convergent thinking, there have been cases of test subjects claiming to have experienced better concentration and focus while reading as they walked rather than being in a seated position.
Who doesn’t like a change in scenery from the work monotony? A walk in the park, meeting some people, a breath of fresh air is just what you need to bring yourself out of the rut. Choosing a walking route embedded with elements of natural scenery can heal you in more ways than one. Observing mother nature’s greenery does garner a sense of peace and sanctity.
As they say, ‘Well begun is half done.’
In this case, getting out of your seat or bed is the beginning. For some, vibing to your favourite music tracks while walking is a complementary entity. While another category, prefer a walking buddy to brainstorm and have casual talks with, that makes the overall experience even more enriching. Owners of pet dogs would know how much it makes their canine buddies happy and riled up when they take’em out for a brisk stroll. Those who are habituated to the walking ritual, consider it as a mood lifter that makes them feel lighter both mentally and goes without saying, physically as well. To invest in the hobby or rather the lifestyle choice of daily walking is a 100% profitable investment on your health with benefits that last a lifetime.
Happy walking fellas!
