A truism we writers already know!
Much research has been completed that demonstrates the link between an active mind and an active body. The simplest effect is that during exercise, blood flow increases to the brain. But according to an in-depth article from Ferris Jabr in The New Yorker, there’s much more going on when we’re walking. “Walking on a regular basis also promotes new connections between brain cells, staves off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that both stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them,” Jabr writes.
Another effect unique to walking is the ability to stimulate our inner speech with the pattern of our feet. “Walking at our own pace creates an unadulterated feedback loop between the rhythm of our bodies and our mental state that we cannot experience as easily when we’re jogging at the gym, steering a car, biking, or during any other kind of locomotion. When we stroll, the pace of our feet naturally vacillates with our moods and the cadence of our inner speech; at the same time, we can actively change the pace of our thoughts by deliberately walking more briskly or by slowing down,” writes Jabr.
The sunflower photo above is one I took while on my everyday morning walk. The external beauty of our world is both comforting and inspiring to me. Walk on!