We tend to think of the many things we do in our life like working, shopping and socializing, as important. They are but we omit looking at some other things like walking, laughing, relaxing or listening to music since those do not have any connection to the material world (read money). So should we start walking and laughing? We already are though we tend to dismiss them lightly. Indeed we should but in order to realize the importance they have, let us check out the various aspects of walking. For those who puzzle over what aspect means, they are like companions. Here we discuss the companions of walking.
Walking as a source of inspiration: When you go out in the open, the blue skies clear the horizons of the mind. Fill it with some birds and you become a poet. Inspiration is a great companion for walking.
Walking for health: Every person needs some form of physical activity. If you sit, your body uses up 43 Calories of energy. When you walk, it uses 222 Calories, meaning, you will lose 179 Calories more. If your daily food intake is 2,000 Calories, now you will require 2,179 Calories. You develop an appetite. Health is a companion derived from walking.
Walking to break stress: Stress forms in the mind when you have some unbroken chain of thought. This will lead to lowered efficiency. Walking breaks stress because you have a change of scenery. You meet new people who are also out walking and discuss new things. You avoid that dangerous companion stress.
Walking for building social contacts: Meeting like-minded people helps you develop your social circle. Walking is an effective mechanism for achieving this. Building the social circle is a companion that shines brightly at times and fades out at other times.
Walking to keep your mind in tune: Walking helps you set a rhythm in your life. It helps your regulate all other activities through this one rhythm building mechanism.
Though all the above form inseparable companions of walking, knowing them makes us feel closer to one and alienated from another. This does not take away the inherent benefits of walking. We are only leaning more on one companion. Jogging is a sibling and exercise is the father. Sometimes this family relationship becomes inverted depending on the priorities of the person. The most glamorous of this family are sports and games. But we will discuss about them in a subsequent post.