9 ms·

Building a walking routine

118 points by synergy20 4y ago

jeffbee 4y ago
The circular design of Apple HQ seems to misunderstand the mental benefits of walking. Walking in a giant circular building your view never changes even slightly. I bet people doing that walk show fewer benefits of walking.
- garren 4y ago
  Is walking on a treadmill significantly more or less beneficial than walking in a big circle? Does a constant change in view confer some measurable benefit compared to a static view?
- ladberg 4y ago
  FWIW I used to work there and you might be right that just walking around the circle is boring, but the majority of the square footage of Apple Park is beautiful green spaces that aren't right at the circle or even necessarily within view of it. You could probably spend at least a few hours walking along every distinct path and have very few repeated views.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
gedy 4y ago
Agreed, though the article lays it on a little thick.. Daily, 7 days per week walking (4+ miles) has definitely improved my physical and mental health. Got me through a bout of anxiety/panic attacks as well. Highly recommend it.
- Centigonal 4y ago
  How do you fit this onto your life? Do you do one long walk in the morning or split it into smaller walks throughout the day? Is it the same each day or different? Do you vary your routes?
  - tjr225 4y ago
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - thestepafter 4y ago
    I read a quote once that basically says, if it’s important you will make time for it. A 4 mile walk can be completed in a little over an hour. The question isn’t how do you make time, it’s more, what am I going to give up to walk?
  - hinkley 4y ago
    One of the things you discover with some exercise is how many hours in the day you need for extra sleep or coping mechanisms. When I first started exercising (again) the amount of sleep I needed to function went down by over an hour more than I spent in class, so the class netted me time. Now that I’m trying to work up to serious walking distance, it has replaces some time I spent in front of the TV, and reduced the amount of time I need to spend on other recharging activities like gardening.
  - ToJans 4y ago
    As a keyboard warrior spending hours sitting in front of the computer, I was having back pain issues and gaining weight every year. This summer I decided to tackle the root cause, so I started doing daily walks during my yearly vacation (about six months ago). Most walks were short (30min), and some took a couple of hours because I was visiting friends/family/local events, going for small groceries, ... If it was less than 10km/(~ 7 miles), I had the time and the weather was reasonable, I walked. I was convinced I would have to walk a lot in bad weather, but this turned out not to be the case: in the morning I check my calendar and the weather for that day, and mentally mark a few opportunity windows to go for a walk. After doing this, the biggest task is getting up and putting on my waking shoes and coat (and chest light when it can get dark) when the time is there. Once I do get out the door, I usually have to force myself not to walk further than I initially planned. In the beginning 30 minutes felt like a long walk. When I go for a walk now, it feels like I'm only beginning to get in the flow after 30 minutes. I do have a fixed route for my brisk walks that I tend to do during weekdays, which is a little over 6km and now takes at most an hour. (It used to take way longer when I started, so there's progress there as well.) I tend to go for bigger walks during the weekends, or as a "reward" when I close a big deal/wrap up a big task... So what did I do with all that time before I went for these walks? A lot of it was mostly feeling productive/creative: browsing around on the internet, noodling at the piano/guitar, watching TV or doing a gazillion small things. Turns out having a fixed walking window where I let my mind wander is way better for me personally: I tend to come home with at least one insight, doing a lot of "gedankenexperiments" (thought experiments) and come back more zen. Next to this it's also improving my physique slowly but gradually. I keep close track of my progress via a smartwatch, because I'm an IT guy after all, and love tracking progress... All things considered, it took a few weeks/months to build this habit, but in the end it was all about starting small and building up gradually, stacking up one little habit on top of the other as time progressed. Over the last fortnight I have been unable to go for walks due to a medical procedure, and I missed my daily walks a lot. Thankfully I'm now able to slowly reboot the habit, and I don't plan on stopping with these walks anytime soon. Highly recommended!
TheRealPomax 4y ago
Of course, what this usually ignores is "...and live somewhere where you can actually safely walk for an hour".
- s-lambert 4y ago
  Where do people live where going outside for a walk for an hour is that dangerous? I'm pretty sure even if you lived in a super high crime rate area you could still find times to go outside for a walk during the day. Unless we're talking about extreme scenarios like living in an active war-zone.
  - memming 4y ago
    Air pollution or lack of sidewalks come to mind.
  - ffactory 4y ago
    I'm pretty sure the comment is about cities not built for pedestrians, commonly found in the US.
    - function_seven 4y ago
      I’ve never seen a city that doesn’t have some way to go on walks. All the terrible unwalkable cities in the US are called that because you can’t actually walk to anything useful. In other words, those cities that require a car to do errands, go shopping, get to work, go to school, etc. But for exercise—walking for walking’s sake—it’s usually doable. It is nice if you can get the walking “for free” by combining it with ordinary life, though
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - jraby3 4y ago
        On rainy days I walk around my apartment for a half hour and it still feels good.
alpark3 4y ago
Does walking on a treadmill replicate the effects? Or is the slowly changing scenery and physical sensation of moving through/to somewhere a major part in the positive effects?
- kderbyma 4y ago
  I think physically it would be similar, but mentally it would not be the same. the act of going from a place to a new place is the real joy of walking because you observe as you go.
  - pstuart 4y ago
    Also misses out on fresh air and possible sunshine.
    - rg111 4y ago
      Only if you live in a place where sunshine is pleasant. Treadmill has been a lifesaver for me and has finally let me have a consistent running/walking habit. Couldn't go out in the dawn as I am a night owl. When I managed that, winter (fog) or monsoon would ensue and mess with my routine. Treadmill saved me.
      - celrod 4y ago
        I use a treadmill desk and am a big fan. It's nice to walk for a few hours a day while on the computer. Stephen Wolfram takes this up another level by also walking outside for a while in nature with a laptop holder[0]. Anecdotally, he reports having a lower heart rate on days he does this. [0] https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-productive-life-some-details-of-my-personal-infrastructure/ https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-prod...
- Mistletoe 4y ago
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20026572/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20026572/ >The results indicate that treadmill walking improves spatial and temporal gait characteristics more effectively than walking outdoors. At least in this study it seems better than walking outdoors for stroke victims. A lot of recent studies about the benefits of sunshine would lean me towards that way, but a treadmill is still super! For mood, it seems outdoor is best- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/well/move/for-exercise-nothing-like-the-great-outdoors.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/well/move/for-exercise-no...
kderbyma 4y ago
I walk frequently and it truly makes most problems less so. I love taking long walks across my city. Usually a couple of times a year I will leave in the morning and go for a walk until late at night. Sometimes 12 hours.
- canucker2016 4y ago
  Not from walking, but I discovered in college a downside when I went for a run after a midterm or final exam. During the run, my mind would wander, and I would start going over some of the questions/problems from the just-completed midterm/final. To my horror, my mind would discover the correct answer for a specific question which didn't match my response or realize that my given answer had a glaring flaw which meant there was no way I could have answered the question/problem correctly. The midterm/final was already completed. I couldn't go back in time and correct my answer. I was stuck in a hot burning purgatory, finishing a run with my mind fixated on my incorrect answer. I couldn't un-think the error. Once I finished the run, I'd go over the problem in my room again only to confirm my error. Then I had to wait for the results from the midterm/final to come face to face with the fact that the prof/TA had agreed that I had erred. This happened a couple of times before I realized the nasty game my mind was playing on me. It was like PTSD - I avoided going for a run immediately after a midterm/final, afraid of what errors my mind might reveal to me. Ignorance is bliss in this case. Finally learned to let the emotions go. What's done is done, can't do anythng about the past.
tjr225 4y ago
I would only add to this: try it without podcasts and music. Let your mind go somewhere else.
- garren 4y ago
  I’d go the opposite direction and say throw on an audiobook. I walk pretty regularly and found that a good long audiobook can be motivating.
  - rg111 4y ago
    Same goes for me. I get bored while walking/running, and can only do it while having music on (running) or have a podcast/audiobook (walking). Music doesn't really mess with your mind going somewhere. And you can discover connections and have other insights while listening to a podcast or an audiobook. Try listening to an audiobook while sitting and doing nothing or doing chores versus listening to it while walking. You will gain more cognitively if you listen to it while walking. Speaking from personal experience.
  - hinkley 4y ago
    Motivating yes, but possibly also allowing you to overdo it by checking out. I say you’re both right. While building a habit, audiobooks help a lot. When trying to set goals, music is better (tempo) but for the mental health aspects, like nature bathing, touching grass, and meditation, eventually you want nothing in your ears more often than not. But only after you’re confident you’ll actually show up for the exercise, distractions or no. Audiobooks are a great way to get through books you feel you should have read but can’t seem to get into.
- koliber 4y ago
  The article recommends that as well, as a different type of walk.
8f2ab37a-ed6c 4y ago
Would cycling have the same effects?
- bagels 4y ago
  If you can find a route with long stretches that don't have a ton of intersections or cars buzzing you, it can. I've done a lot of both activities. Cycling burns a lot more calories, and you can get further away from home, but walking is generally more meditative.
- diffxx 4y ago
  In theory, cycling could be comparable, but in practice I find it worse (and I spent 10+ years riding ~10 hours per week). With road cycling, you spend a lot of time riding on roads that are extremely unpleasant to share with cars which is quite stressful. With mountain biking, you need to live near good trails or either you have the same sharing the road problem as road cycling but worse because mtbs suck on the road or you have to drive which adds a lot of overhead. Plus I find wearing walking clothes a lot nicer than lycra, which is basically necessary for long rides.
chegra 4y ago
From a similar view, the book, "Spark: How Exercise will improve your performance by Dr. John Ratey" has other benefits of exercising: 1. Exercise is better than Zoloft in treating depression 2. Students with higher fitness scores also have higher test scores 3. People learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster following exercise than they did before exercise 4. A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. 5. A study in London in 2004 showed that even ten minutes of exercise could blunt an alcoholic’s craving. I wrote a summary/highlight of the key ideas in the book here : https://www.chestergrant.com/highlights-from-spark-how-exercise-will-improve-the-performance-of-your-brain-by-dr-john-ratey https://www.chestergrant.com/highlights-from-spark-how-exerc...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- jraby3 4y ago
  Excellent book. I read it a long time ago. I’m sure if their was an update their would be even more studies showing the massive benefits of exercise on all aspects of life.
- mudrockbestgirl 4y ago
  I have no doubt that exercise is good for you, but I'm extremely skeptical about these kind of books. I haven't read this one specifically but from your description it fits this archetype of pop-science books that cite studies as proof. But studies, especially these kinds of studies, are no proof. It sounds like a huge collection of selection-bias based experiments, which already suffer from selection bias due to the academic system, spun into a narrative to sell a book to the general clueless population. Again, I'm sure exercise is great for you (how could it be bad?), but given how difficult it is to get replication in these types of studies I wouldn't trust any of the specific results... I'd bet lots of money that, for example, "People learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster" is complete BS and not replicable.
  - chegra 4y ago
johnwheeler 4y ago
Walking is great and all but clickbait title
serf 4y ago
I know it's petty and unavoidable, but it's a bummer to click an ambiguous headline like that hoping for a new tool to add to your repertoire as a wheelchair user. That's one thing that I miss from my able-bodied life, contemplative walks. Rolling a wheelchair around and dealing with the intrinsic difficulties associated with doing so really destroys any kind of meditative quality out of the experience. Now my deep meditative thoughts come to me in the shower, but it still doesn't hold a candle to a stroll through town during a brisk winter in fair weather. Apologies for bringing down the mood, but I feel better.
- sanjayio 4y ago
  For what it’s worth, I think the article is pointing towards deep contemplative thoughts driven by some action like walking. As someone who’s had my ability to walk in jeopardy, I always thought a row machine or rope pull down machine could accomplish a similar result. The goal being, airing out your brain and moving blood. I don’t mean to marginalize your feelings, they’re valid, just trying to share some past thoughts.
- ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
  Hahaha, sorry I empathize but I'm so delighted that I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's not a feeling that most people can relate to, the absolute deflating feeling when you open an article about the greatest tool ever and it goes: The Walk. It's kinda funny.
  - andai 4y ago
    Turns out history's greatest men have something in common with man's best friend :)
- theoa 4y ago
  @serf > Now my deep meditative thoughts come to me in the shower A great place to start! Here's a thought that might get you into some even deeper water: Have you thought about swimming? I'm a partial-paraplegic and below-elbow on left arm amputee. I can walk but not well. My favorite walking replacement has been swimming. I'm not fast, but I can swim for hours. In any case, I feel that almost any repetitive physical action - even shelling pea pods - can become meditative.
roland35 4y ago
Having a dog also helps. My dog is old and slow now but she gets me out of the house! It's extra motivation because if I don't walk her she will pee somewhere inside!!
- marniewebb 4y ago
  +1 I adopted a cattle dog two years ago. A real habit builder.
mudrockbestgirl 4y ago
Amazing! Added to my 1000-item list with the other "must-build habits for life success according to influencer BS clickbait posts" Don't forget to meditate, journal, go on silent retreats, take cold showers, eat a kiwi a day, and use Rust for maximum life success! Ah, and don't forget to breathe. I read it increases longevity.
- lostgame 4y ago
  Jeez, you even had to drag Rust into it. Does the downvote button have a ‘turbo’ button like a 486? Could it actually work; instead of just slowing down/buffering performance?
  - number6 4y ago
    Your screenname... damn it...
- nicbou 4y ago
  I'm tired of fun things somehow having to be measured and justified in terms of professional growth. It's nice to do things just for the sake of it, with a level of intensity that feels right, without keeping score.
smcameron 4y ago
I've been a pacer my whole life. My college roommate once told me I was "like a caged tiger."
sometimeshuman 4y ago
Strange coincidence. I just finished watching a video on "how to walk" just before visiting HN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E I have been suffering from chronic achilles tendonitis due to decades of walking/running with outward foot pronation. The techniques discussed in the other videos of this youtube channel have helped.
rl3 4y ago
Not clicking clickbait links?
highwayman47 4y ago
I exercise daily (high intensity) and my life is still unremarkable
hxugufjfjf 4y ago
> You can do it with a partner, a friend, a child, or alone. You can talk or do it in silence. Lean into gratitude while you walk. Get a dog.
sph 4y ago
> There are four types of walks to consider implementing in your routines Ugh, can these growth hacking types stop trying to make everything into a "thing"? Can one just go out for a bloody walk without someone saying they need to make the best out of it, and to use it for spiritual and career growth. Just go out to pump some fresh blood and air in your body. There's no unproductive way of walking, for god's sake. Also: > University of Hong Kong researchers showed that walking side-by-side led to deeper feelings of connection, implying that walking meetings may actually create better outcomes. Soon at your BigCo walking meetings for you to bond emotionally with your boss. We found it improves employee retention and reduces turnover rates.
- number6 4y ago
  You might enjoy: Four thousand weeks: time management for mortals. Got it from another comment on HN. It's really good down to earth, not everything has to be a thing, stuff.
- throw6383878 4y ago
  Well, it has to fit into culture. Walking in forest is part of my work (software design). But to make it billable, I need all that BS...
- gumboza 4y ago
  I think realistically walking meeting outcomes would be worse. At least in my case, walking around outside switches me into survival mode. Raised heart rate and adrenaline. I learned this during covid when I was doing laps around the local park on a zoom meeting. But yeah you don't need a reason or a framework in which to operate in. Just walk out of the bloody door.
- Sakos 4y ago
  > There are four types of walks to consider implementing in your routines I was thinking ministry of silly walks and how many of those to implement in my routines.
- Tenoke 4y ago
  >Ugh, can these growth hacking types stop trying to make everything into a "thing"? Can one just go out for a bloody walk without someone saying they need to make the best out of it, and to use it for spiritual and career growth. No, many people can't just go for a walk as evident by the fact that they don't. Laying out the benefits can help convince some people to walk that currently don't. Just because articles like this aren't useful for you it doesn't mean there aren't useful for others.
schipplock 4y ago
> To be clear, I have several atypical lifestyle factors that allow me to walk this much—a 6-month-old who only sleeps on walks :D
quickthrower2 4y ago
Everyone can walk? Anyway yeah walking is good if you can. Make it incidental so it is not on your todo list. Dogs, public transport over cars, etc.
beebeepka 4y ago
How does garbage like this reach front page with 79 points?
thenerdhead 4y ago
> If there is one daily habit that has had the greatest positive impact on my life since I implemented it about a year ago, it is walking. In 2021, I averaged about 2,000 steps per day. In 2022, that figure is closer to 20,000. That 10x increase has unlocked me creatively, spiritually, mentally, and physically—I feel like a completely different person. The author is walking almost 10 miles a day. That may be hard to do when his kids start to get older.

118 points by synergy20 4y ago

The circular design of Apple HQ seems to misunderstand the mental benefits of walking. Walking in a giant circular building your view never changes even slightly. I bet people doing that walk show fewer benefits of walking.

garren 4y ago
Is walking on a treadmill significantly more or less beneficial than walking in a big circle? Does a constant change in view confer some measurable benefit compared to a static view?
ladberg 4y ago
FWIW I used to work there and you might be right that just walking around the circle is boring, but the majority of the square footage of Apple Park is beautiful green spaces that aren't right at the circle or even necessarily within view of it. You could probably spend at least a few hours walking along every distinct path and have very few repeated views.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

gedy 4y ago

Agreed, though the article lays it on a little thick.. Daily, 7 days per week walking (4+ miles) has definitely improved my physical and mental health. Got me through a bout of anxiety/panic attacks as well. Highly recommend it.

Centigonal 4y ago
How do you fit this onto your life? Do you do one long walk in the morning or split it into smaller walks throughout the day? Is it the same each day or different? Do you vary your routes?
- tjr225 4y ago
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- thestepafter 4y ago
  I read a quote once that basically says, if it’s important you will make time for it. A 4 mile walk can be completed in a little over an hour. The question isn’t how do you make time, it’s more, what am I going to give up to walk?
- hinkley 4y ago
  One of the things you discover with some exercise is how many hours in the day you need for extra sleep or coping mechanisms. When I first started exercising (again) the amount of sleep I needed to function went down by over an hour more than I spent in class, so the class netted me time. Now that I’m trying to work up to serious walking distance, it has replaces some time I spent in front of the TV, and reduced the amount of time I need to spend on other recharging activities like gardening.
- ToJans 4y ago
  As a keyboard warrior spending hours sitting in front of the computer, I was having back pain issues and gaining weight every year. This summer I decided to tackle the root cause, so I started doing daily walks during my yearly vacation (about six months ago). Most walks were short (30min), and some took a couple of hours because I was visiting friends/family/local events, going for small groceries, ... If it was less than 10km/(~ 7 miles), I had the time and the weather was reasonable, I walked. I was convinced I would have to walk a lot in bad weather, but this turned out not to be the case: in the morning I check my calendar and the weather for that day, and mentally mark a few opportunity windows to go for a walk. After doing this, the biggest task is getting up and putting on my waking shoes and coat (and chest light when it can get dark) when the time is there. Once I do get out the door, I usually have to force myself not to walk further than I initially planned. In the beginning 30 minutes felt like a long walk. When I go for a walk now, it feels like I'm only beginning to get in the flow after 30 minutes. I do have a fixed route for my brisk walks that I tend to do during weekdays, which is a little over 6km and now takes at most an hour. (It used to take way longer when I started, so there's progress there as well.) I tend to go for bigger walks during the weekends, or as a "reward" when I close a big deal/wrap up a big task... So what did I do with all that time before I went for these walks? A lot of it was mostly feeling productive/creative: browsing around on the internet, noodling at the piano/guitar, watching TV or doing a gazillion small things. Turns out having a fixed walking window where I let my mind wander is way better for me personally: I tend to come home with at least one insight, doing a lot of "gedankenexperiments" (thought experiments) and come back more zen. Next to this it's also improving my physique slowly but gradually. I keep close track of my progress via a smartwatch, because I'm an IT guy after all, and love tracking progress... All things considered, it took a few weeks/months to build this habit, but in the end it was all about starting small and building up gradually, stacking up one little habit on top of the other as time progressed. Over the last fortnight I have been unable to go for walks due to a medical procedure, and I missed my daily walks a lot. Thankfully I'm now able to slowly reboot the habit, and I don't plan on stopping with these walks anytime soon. Highly recommended!

TheRealPomax 4y ago

Of course, what this usually ignores is "...and live somewhere where you can actually safely walk for an hour".

s-lambert 4y ago
Where do people live where going outside for a walk for an hour is that dangerous? I'm pretty sure even if you lived in a super high crime rate area you could still find times to go outside for a walk during the day. Unless we're talking about extreme scenarios like living in an active war-zone.
- memming 4y ago
  Air pollution or lack of sidewalks come to mind.
- ffactory 4y ago
  I'm pretty sure the comment is about cities not built for pedestrians, commonly found in the US.
  - function_seven 4y ago
    I’ve never seen a city that doesn’t have some way to go on walks. All the terrible unwalkable cities in the US are called that because you can’t actually walk to anything useful. In other words, those cities that require a car to do errands, go shopping, get to work, go to school, etc. But for exercise—walking for walking’s sake—it’s usually doable. It is nice if you can get the walking “for free” by combining it with ordinary life, though
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - jraby3 4y ago
      On rainy days I walk around my apartment for a half hour and it still feels good.

alpark3 4y ago

Does walking on a treadmill replicate the effects? Or is the slowly changing scenery and physical sensation of moving through/to somewhere a major part in the positive effects?

kderbyma 4y ago
I think physically it would be similar, but mentally it would not be the same. the act of going from a place to a new place is the real joy of walking because you observe as you go.
- pstuart 4y ago
  Also misses out on fresh air and possible sunshine.
  - rg111 4y ago
    Only if you live in a place where sunshine is pleasant. Treadmill has been a lifesaver for me and has finally let me have a consistent running/walking habit. Couldn't go out in the dawn as I am a night owl. When I managed that, winter (fog) or monsoon would ensue and mess with my routine. Treadmill saved me.
    - celrod 4y ago
      I use a treadmill desk and am a big fan. It's nice to walk for a few hours a day while on the computer. Stephen Wolfram takes this up another level by also walking outside for a while in nature with a laptop holder[0]. Anecdotally, he reports having a lower heart rate on days he does this. [0] https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-productive-life-some-details-of-my-personal-infrastructure/ https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-prod...
Mistletoe 4y ago
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20026572/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20026572/ >The results indicate that treadmill walking improves spatial and temporal gait characteristics more effectively than walking outdoors. At least in this study it seems better than walking outdoors for stroke victims. A lot of recent studies about the benefits of sunshine would lean me towards that way, but a treadmill is still super! For mood, it seems outdoor is best- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/well/move/for-exercise-nothing-like-the-great-outdoors.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/well/move/for-exercise-no...

kderbyma 4y ago

I walk frequently and it truly makes most problems less so. I love taking long walks across my city. Usually a couple of times a year I will leave in the morning and go for a walk until late at night. Sometimes 12 hours.

canucker2016 4y ago
Not from walking, but I discovered in college a downside when I went for a run after a midterm or final exam. During the run, my mind would wander, and I would start going over some of the questions/problems from the just-completed midterm/final. To my horror, my mind would discover the correct answer for a specific question which didn't match my response or realize that my given answer had a glaring flaw which meant there was no way I could have answered the question/problem correctly. The midterm/final was already completed. I couldn't go back in time and correct my answer. I was stuck in a hot burning purgatory, finishing a run with my mind fixated on my incorrect answer. I couldn't un-think the error. Once I finished the run, I'd go over the problem in my room again only to confirm my error. Then I had to wait for the results from the midterm/final to come face to face with the fact that the prof/TA had agreed that I had erred. This happened a couple of times before I realized the nasty game my mind was playing on me. It was like PTSD - I avoided going for a run immediately after a midterm/final, afraid of what errors my mind might reveal to me. Ignorance is bliss in this case. Finally learned to let the emotions go. What's done is done, can't do anythng about the past.

tjr225 4y ago

I would only add to this: try it without podcasts and music. Let your mind go somewhere else.

garren 4y ago
I’d go the opposite direction and say throw on an audiobook. I walk pretty regularly and found that a good long audiobook can be motivating.
- rg111 4y ago
  Same goes for me. I get bored while walking/running, and can only do it while having music on (running) or have a podcast/audiobook (walking). Music doesn't really mess with your mind going somewhere. And you can discover connections and have other insights while listening to a podcast or an audiobook. Try listening to an audiobook while sitting and doing nothing or doing chores versus listening to it while walking. You will gain more cognitively if you listen to it while walking. Speaking from personal experience.
- hinkley 4y ago
  Motivating yes, but possibly also allowing you to overdo it by checking out. I say you’re both right. While building a habit, audiobooks help a lot. When trying to set goals, music is better (tempo) but for the mental health aspects, like nature bathing, touching grass, and meditation, eventually you want nothing in your ears more often than not. But only after you’re confident you’ll actually show up for the exercise, distractions or no. Audiobooks are a great way to get through books you feel you should have read but can’t seem to get into.
koliber 4y ago
The article recommends that as well, as a different type of walk.

8f2ab37a-ed6c 4y ago

Would cycling have the same effects?

bagels 4y ago
If you can find a route with long stretches that don't have a ton of intersections or cars buzzing you, it can. I've done a lot of both activities. Cycling burns a lot more calories, and you can get further away from home, but walking is generally more meditative.
diffxx 4y ago
In theory, cycling could be comparable, but in practice I find it worse (and I spent 10+ years riding ~10 hours per week). With road cycling, you spend a lot of time riding on roads that are extremely unpleasant to share with cars which is quite stressful. With mountain biking, you need to live near good trails or either you have the same sharing the road problem as road cycling but worse because mtbs suck on the road or you have to drive which adds a lot of overhead. Plus I find wearing walking clothes a lot nicer than lycra, which is basically necessary for long rides.

chegra 4y ago

From a similar view, the book, "Spark: How Exercise will improve your performance by Dr. John Ratey" has other benefits of exercising: 1. Exercise is better than Zoloft in treating depression 2. Students with higher fitness scores also have higher test scores 3. People learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster following exercise than they did before exercise 4. A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. 5. A study in London in 2004 showed that even ten minutes of exercise could blunt an alcoholic’s craving. I wrote a summary/highlight of the key ideas in the book here : https://www.chestergrant.com/highlights-from-spark-how-exercise-will-improve-the-performance-of-your-brain-by-dr-john-ratey https://www.chestergrant.com/highlights-from-spark-how-exerc...

deleted 4y ago
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jraby3 4y ago
Excellent book. I read it a long time ago. I’m sure if their was an update their would be even more studies showing the massive benefits of exercise on all aspects of life.
mudrockbestgirl 4y ago
I have no doubt that exercise is good for you, but I'm extremely skeptical about these kind of books. I haven't read this one specifically but from your description it fits this archetype of pop-science books that cite studies as proof. But studies, especially these kinds of studies, are no proof. It sounds like a huge collection of selection-bias based experiments, which already suffer from selection bias due to the academic system, spun into a narrative to sell a book to the general clueless population. Again, I'm sure exercise is great for you (how could it be bad?), but given how difficult it is to get replication in these types of studies I wouldn't trust any of the specific results... I'd bet lots of money that, for example, "People learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster" is complete BS and not replicable.
- chegra 4y ago

johnwheeler 4y ago

Walking is great and all but clickbait title

serf 4y ago

I know it's petty and unavoidable, but it's a bummer to click an ambiguous headline like that hoping for a new tool to add to your repertoire as a wheelchair user. That's one thing that I miss from my able-bodied life, contemplative walks. Rolling a wheelchair around and dealing with the intrinsic difficulties associated with doing so really destroys any kind of meditative quality out of the experience. Now my deep meditative thoughts come to me in the shower, but it still doesn't hold a candle to a stroll through town during a brisk winter in fair weather. Apologies for bringing down the mood, but I feel better.

sanjayio 4y ago
For what it’s worth, I think the article is pointing towards deep contemplative thoughts driven by some action like walking. As someone who’s had my ability to walk in jeopardy, I always thought a row machine or rope pull down machine could accomplish a similar result. The goal being, airing out your brain and moving blood. I don’t mean to marginalize your feelings, they’re valid, just trying to share some past thoughts.
ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
Hahaha, sorry I empathize but I'm so delighted that I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's not a feeling that most people can relate to, the absolute deflating feeling when you open an article about the greatest tool ever and it goes: The Walk. It's kinda funny.
- andai 4y ago
  Turns out history's greatest men have something in common with man's best friend :)
theoa 4y ago
@serf > Now my deep meditative thoughts come to me in the shower A great place to start! Here's a thought that might get you into some even deeper water: Have you thought about swimming? I'm a partial-paraplegic and below-elbow on left arm amputee. I can walk but not well. My favorite walking replacement has been swimming. I'm not fast, but I can swim for hours. In any case, I feel that almost any repetitive physical action - even shelling pea pods - can become meditative.

roland35 4y ago

Having a dog also helps. My dog is old and slow now but she gets me out of the house! It's extra motivation because if I don't walk her she will pee somewhere inside!!

marniewebb 4y ago
+1 I adopted a cattle dog two years ago. A real habit builder.

mudrockbestgirl 4y ago

Amazing! Added to my 1000-item list with the other "must-build habits for life success according to influencer BS clickbait posts" Don't forget to meditate, journal, go on silent retreats, take cold showers, eat a kiwi a day, and use Rust for maximum life success! Ah, and don't forget to breathe. I read it increases longevity.

lostgame 4y ago
Jeez, you even had to drag Rust into it. Does the downvote button have a ‘turbo’ button like a 486? Could it actually work; instead of just slowing down/buffering performance?
- number6 4y ago
  Your screenname... damn it...
nicbou 4y ago
I'm tired of fun things somehow having to be measured and justified in terms of professional growth. It's nice to do things just for the sake of it, with a level of intensity that feels right, without keeping score.

smcameron 4y ago

I've been a pacer my whole life. My college roommate once told me I was "like a caged tiger."

sometimeshuman 4y ago

Strange coincidence. I just finished watching a video on "how to walk" just before visiting HN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E I have been suffering from chronic achilles tendonitis due to decades of walking/running with outward foot pronation. The techniques discussed in the other videos of this youtube channel have helped.

rl3 4y ago

Not clicking clickbait links?

highwayman47 4y ago

I exercise daily (high intensity) and my life is still unremarkable

hxugufjfjf 4y ago

> You can do it with a partner, a friend, a child, or alone. You can talk or do it in silence. Lean into gratitude while you walk. Get a dog.

sph 4y ago

> There are four types of walks to consider implementing in your routines Ugh, can these growth hacking types stop trying to make everything into a "thing"? Can one just go out for a bloody walk without someone saying they need to make the best out of it, and to use it for spiritual and career growth. Just go out to pump some fresh blood and air in your body. There's no unproductive way of walking, for god's sake. Also: > University of Hong Kong researchers showed that walking side-by-side led to deeper feelings of connection, implying that walking meetings may actually create better outcomes. Soon at your BigCo walking meetings for you to bond emotionally with your boss. We found it improves employee retention and reduces turnover rates.

number6 4y ago
You might enjoy: Four thousand weeks: time management for mortals. Got it from another comment on HN. It's really good down to earth, not everything has to be a thing, stuff.
throw6383878 4y ago
Well, it has to fit into culture. Walking in forest is part of my work (software design). But to make it billable, I need all that BS...
gumboza 4y ago
I think realistically walking meeting outcomes would be worse. At least in my case, walking around outside switches me into survival mode. Raised heart rate and adrenaline. I learned this during covid when I was doing laps around the local park on a zoom meeting. But yeah you don't need a reason or a framework in which to operate in. Just walk out of the bloody door.
Sakos 4y ago
> There are four types of walks to consider implementing in your routines I was thinking ministry of silly walks and how many of those to implement in my routines.
Tenoke 4y ago
>Ugh, can these growth hacking types stop trying to make everything into a "thing"? Can one just go out for a bloody walk without someone saying they need to make the best out of it, and to use it for spiritual and career growth. No, many people can't just go for a walk as evident by the fact that they don't. Laying out the benefits can help convince some people to walk that currently don't. Just because articles like this aren't useful for you it doesn't mean there aren't useful for others.

schipplock 4y ago

> To be clear, I have several atypical lifestyle factors that allow me to walk this much—a 6-month-old who only sleeps on walks :D

quickthrower2 4y ago

Everyone can walk? Anyway yeah walking is good if you can. Make it incidental so it is not on your todo list. Dogs, public transport over cars, etc.

beebeepka 4y ago

How does garbage like this reach front page with 79 points?

thenerdhead 4y ago

> If there is one daily habit that has had the greatest positive impact on my life since I implemented it about a year ago, it is walking. In 2021, I averaged about 2,000 steps per day. In 2022, that figure is closer to 20,000. That 10x increase has unlocked me creatively, spiritually, mentally, and physically—I feel like a completely different person. The author is walking almost 10 miles a day. That may be hard to do when his kids start to get older.