Walking It Off

Surely I am not alone in having “sinking spells” in late winter. In my case, I am sure it is partly related to a lack of sunlight due to shorter days, more cloudy weather, and staying inside more. I have no reason or excuse for the fact that I have not been going on ranch walks for over a year now. A couple of years ago, I was walking 15 to 20 miles per week! I have been threatening to start walking again, so last week when I was having a really strong sinking spell, I gathered my dogs and struck out on a walk. I intended to walk a half mile out and a half mile back—just a short walk—but we ended up walking about three miles!

What happened was that about a quarter mile from my front porch I started looking around, listening to the birds, and enjoying the warmth of the sun. By the time we reached that half mile mark, the dogs were having a great time and so was I, so we kept going. About a mile and a half in, I realized I was getting thirsty and decided it was time to start back toward home. On the way home I had to stop a couple of times to investigate some things more closely and to take some pictures. By the time I got home and got my drink of water, I was thinking about pulling out my sketch books which have been stored away for too long.

I will admit I was a little sore later that night and the next day, but I felt so good, like I had crawled out from under a rock. Now I am looking ahead at spring and rounding up all of my walking gear like shoes, a camelback, a waist pack, and my new trekking poles. I expect I will be walking sporadically for another two or three weeks while we make the transition from busy to slow season in our business, but I aim to get my regular walking habit back. Why did I ever stop? I do not know.

I am wondering how this works—how does moving the feet have such a profound effect on the brain? I think it is a combination of sunlight, oxygen, circulation, realization, gratitude, and certainly a variety of hormones. Our friend came to visit just in time for the winter storm and in spite of the weather he walked the ranch every day he was here. I went with him one day while the wind was howling and pounding us with tiny ice crystals. He talked about how heavenly it was to be able to step right off the front porch and walk in nature with no interruptions from cars or crowds. I have been thinking about that and feeling guilty for neglecting the treasure that I have so I have been digging out all of my habitformation techniques aiming to get back to it. Spring, especially a spring after a devastating storm, seems like the perfect time to renew a good habit. SpringCreekArtsGuild@gmail.com