So I’ve written about my fondness for cycling. But I’m also what you might call a walking enthusiast.
Some Great Things About Walking:
- A good walk is good for your body. Like many forms of exercise, walking is conducive to overall fitness and helpful in weight control. And if the Kaiser Permanente commercials are to be believed, just 30 minutes of walking five days per week can help keep you healthy and reduce your risk for many chronic ailments, including certain kinds of cancer. Read a summary of the study here.
- Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is generally pleasant and can be done either alone or with others. While I often walk by myself, I love walking with friends. This is a great way to catch up with each other and burn calories at the same time. I am lucky to have some very energetic walking partners!
- Walking is also great for your head. According to a study reported in the New York Times this can be especially true if you walk amid nature. I completely agree, although I enjoy a lot of diversity in my routes, Natural setting are very calming, but an urban or even a neighborhood walk can be interesting or even stimulating. But regardless of where I walk, I never wear headphones! Without the extra distraction or forced focus on music or a podcast, I do some of my best problem solving during long walks or just enjoy a more meditative experience, absorbing the sights and sounds around me, whether it’s the chirping of birds or the bustle of the city.
- Finally, walking is a form of transportation. Atlanta was built for cars, but now, thankfully, there seems to be a shift in thinking about the construct of our communities.They say that millennials are driving this change, but I know people of all ages are glad to see a more common-sense, healthier approach to development and community design that brings people and amenities closer together. This is good news for people who choose to walk and for those who, for a variety of reasons, must walk to get around. Besides, it’s empowering to get someplace with your own human energy.
Pedestrian Advocacy
Because walking under any circumstances should be safe, I support a small local pedestrian advocacy group,appropriately enough called PEDS. The good folks at PEDS are working on a bunch of initiatives (visit peds.org) including a Pedestrian Action Safety Plan they’re developing with the Georgia Department of Transportation. While it will take some time to create and eventually implement, this important plan started out with citizen input so it will be carried out thoughtfully and with people’s needs at the forefront. I’ll look forward to seeing what comes out of it.
WALKtober
But in the spirit that walking really is FUN, especially with others, PEDS has announced its first annual WALKtober event -- what they are calling 4 weeks of fun on foot. They’ve got five organized group walks throughout October around some cool places. I plan to do the Oakland Cemetery walk myself (on Oct. 6). PEDS is even encouraging people to organize their own walks and put it on their WALKtober calendar so others will join. Check it out and consider supporting the work that PEDS is doing as an important player in making Atlanta a better city.
But in the spirit that walking really is FUN, especially with others, PEDS has announced its first annual WALKtober event -- what they are calling 4 weeks of fun on foot. They’ve got five organized group walks throughout October around some cool places. I plan to do the Oakland Cemetery walk myself (on Oct. 6). PEDS is even encouraging people to organize their own walks and put it on their WALKtober calendar so others will join. Check it out and consider supporting the work that PEDS is doing as an important player in making Atlanta a better city.
