> 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.
>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.
Coming soon will be someone who names walking side by side as a thing and writes an overly long paper/blog/book about how it solves every conceivable problem. I'll jump ahead and guess something like 'pair walking' or maybe 'linked striding'
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Just get a treadmill. Not as pleasant as walking in nature, among trees, or by a lake.
But beats walking in a crowded city or having to cross roads anyday.
I live in a place where it is too hot, and only time people can go on walks is dawn/pre-morning. As a night owl, I cannot do that. So I bought a treadmill.
It has been great for me and has served me really well.
The cognitive benefits mentioned in the article and what many of us know, you can derive that from treadmill walking. I can attest to that.
I am living in Canada. It's winter and it is wet. Going outside means a 5 min ritual of changing into outside clothes (because it is wet) and wearing boots, walking and doing the reverse 5 min ritual.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
>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!
> 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.
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.
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.
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.
[+] [-] sph|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] Sakos|3 years ago|reply
I was thinking ministry of silly walks and how many of those to implement in my routines.
[+] [-] Tenoke|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] number6|3 years ago|reply
Got it from another comment on HN. It's really good down to earth, not everything has to be a thing, stuff.
[+] [-] gjvc|3 years ago|reply
How else are they going to increase their social media engagement numbers?!
[+] [-] Eddy_Viscosity2|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gumboza|3 years ago|reply
But yeah you don't need a reason or a framework in which to operate in. Just walk out of the bloody door.
[+] [-] throw6383878|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chegra|3 years ago|reply
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-exerc...
[+] [-] mudrockbestgirl|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] jraby3|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] mudrockbestgirl|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] serf|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] TheRealPomax|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] s-lambert|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rg111|3 years ago|reply
But beats walking in a crowded city or having to cross roads anyday.
I live in a place where it is too hot, and only time people can go on walks is dawn/pre-morning. As a night owl, I cannot do that. So I bought a treadmill.
It has been great for me and has served me really well.
The cognitive benefits mentioned in the article and what many of us know, you can derive that from treadmill walking. I can attest to that.
[+] [-] abdullahkhalids|3 years ago|reply
I love walking but very annoying these days.
[+] [-] jeffbee|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gedy|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] roland35|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] marniewebb|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kderbyma|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] canucker2016|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] johnwheeler|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jeffbee|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ladberg|3 years ago|reply
You could probably spend at least a few hours walking along every distinct path and have very few repeated views.
[+] [-] garren|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] alpark3|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kderbyma|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Mistletoe|3 years ago|reply
>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-no...
[+] [-] nicbou|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thenerdhead|3 years ago|reply
The author is walking almost 10 miles a day. That may be hard to do when his kids start to get older.
[+] [-] sometimeshuman|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] quickthrower2|3 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] hxugufjfjf|3 years ago|reply
Get a dog.
[+] [-] schipplock|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] smcameron|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rl3|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] highwayman47|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 8f2ab37a-ed6c|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bagels|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] diffxx|3 years ago|reply