Blog Takeover: Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Walk

It’s Hannah – Kingsgate’s Senior Marketing Specialist. Today, I’m taking over the blog after reading a blog Kingsgate shared a few weeks ago, on Twitter. The blog is from the Harvard Business Review and it’s all about not underestimating the power taking a walk. This resonated with me because in a lot of ways, my walks while working remotely throughout the past year have often been my saving grace. Last week after all the snow, I was truly missing the ability to get outside and clear my head.

There are so many benefits to taking a midday break from work to stop, recharge and step away from the computer – but taking a break and walking adds something amazing to the mix! I initially started taking walks during quarantine to feel less cooped up and confined sitting in the house all day. As things have opened back up, I’ve kept my walking habit because I’ve seen so many day-to-day benefits. As the Harvard Business Journal shared, “a single bout of moderate-to vigorous activity (including walking) can improve our sleep, thinking, and learning, while reducing symptoms of anxiety.”

I’m lucky to live by a bike path so I’ve been able to take my walks along the treelined path and simply enjoying being outside in nature. The article also points out this also has many benefits, “exposure to nature helps us switch from voluntary attention, which draws on our reserves of focus and energy, to involuntary attention, which requires less focus and energy. This allows us to recover from mental fatigue.” I’ve noticed that after a walk, I’m able to think clearer and accomplish more with my new and refreshed frame of reference.

As this article continues, it shared five ways to walk with more purpose and since I’ve loved my daily walks, I wanted to share this with you:

I can't wait for the snow to melt and get back to walking!

Thanks for reading,

Hannah Combs