Let’s Walk

My childhood was full of time spent at my grandparent’s farm.  I loved that farm.  I loved my pony Bonnie Bell, the cows, and the chickens.  I had rabbits and dogs to play with and trees to climb.  Fresh-cut hay piled high in the barn made the best napping spot. One thing I loved more than anything else was when my grandfather would say, “Let’s walk”.  That meant a hike across the fields, down the cattle path, or a trip into the woods where we would explore creeks and hunt for mushrooms.   We took deep breaths of fresh air and reveled in the sounds and the silence.  We took long, unrushed walks, with no particular route in mind, there was no particular place that we were headed.  We walked, talked, and laughed.  The world felt lighter and more vivid.

I’m sure that for my Grandfather, these impromptu walks were a means to check the property lines, fences, our pesky pump house, and herds.  He used these walks to train dogs and, I suspect, wear down energetic children.

Many years have passed since I walked the family farm, but I still head out the door for long walks regularly.  The summer sun fills me with warmth, the turning of the fall leaves makes me smile, the winter wind quickens my step, and spring brings a sense of renewal.  Walks where I spot interesting wildlife and birds, or listen to the wind blowing through the trees, bring back wonderful childhood memories. 

Years ago, my grandfather needed no scientific research to instinctively know that a walk outside provided many benefits.  Today there is even a popular strength and conditioning exercise dubbed “the Farmer’s Walk”.  Who would have thought that pretending to carry full milk jugs in a straight line for a designated distance would be popular in strength training circles?  (My grandfather would have gotten a good laugh hearing this.)

What my Grandfather may or may not have known was:

• Walking outside increases chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.  “Happy” chemicals can lift our moods and slow rates of depression for hours after our strolls.
• That warmth from the sun also prompts our bodies to make Vitamin D-reducing deficiencies that increase our risk for Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and prostate cancer.
• Walking also releases a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) also known as “Miracle-Gro for the brain” because it impacts the growth of new brain cells and wards off memory loss and dementia.

If Google had been around in those days, we may have looked up the “benefits of walking” but there is a good chance we would not have.  What made our walks most beneficial to me, was the time spent together.  The lessons taught, questions asked and answered in face-to-face conversations, time away from distractions where I felt heard, and stories that were shared.  My grandfather was not highly educated but wise; not monetarily rich but rich in relationships.  Like most farmers, he had a wealth of knowledge, excelled at strategic planning, and learned that flexibility and adaptability were essential to survival and success. My grandfather was my first coach, a beloved mentor, and the first person to model leadership (of family, business, and community).  While we may not be able to walk through the woods together, if you could benefit from feeling heard and are looking for a coach and thinking partner, sign up for a free coaching session.  Let’s Walk.