Take a Walk

The tendency to make things more complicated than they need to be prevents us from starting or developing a healthy habit. Simplicity should be invited in, like an old friend.

My radical proposition is this: Take a walk.

Adapted from Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil:

“Human beings are meant to walk. Our bodies are designed for locomotion. Walking is a complex behavior that requires functional integration of many sensory and motor experiences; it exercises our brains as well as our bodies.
When you walk, the movement of your limbs is cross-patterned; arms and legs move in opposition to each other. This type of movement generates electrical activity in the brain that has a harmonizing influence on the whole central nervous system-a special benefit that you do not necessarily get from other kinds of exercise. In my opinion, walking is the most healthful form of physical activity, having the greatest capacity to keep the healing system in good working order and increase the likelihood of spontaneous healing in cases of illness.”

You do not have to learn how to do it. No special equipment is required, other than comfortable shoes. It costs nothing, and the chance of injury is small. If you have one of these, coax her off the couch and get going…