52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time

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I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this book, although it shouldn't have been a surprise given the rather informative title, but it was so unexpectedly delightful! As she returned to walking frequently, she made two rules for herself: walk instead of using the car, unless absolutely necessary and convert as many sedentary activities as possible into walking activities. As a person who walks for both physical and mental health, rather than a particular destination, Annabel Streets' 52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time is both an inspiration, and a revelation. I knew that walking made me feel better, especially during these super trying times, but I wasn't sure why, nor how I could make a walk around my neighborhood more interesting.

When the sun shines down on the water you get twice as much light, so you get twice the serotonin boost’: Annabel Street. Photograph: Kate Peters/The ObserverA delightfully original love letter to an activity humans were designed to do throughout the course of each day. Modern life has rendered walking an optional pursuit, but Streets makes a compelling, evidence-based case for the benefits of a daily stroll… A gift for walking enthusiasts as well as those who need a little nudge to put on their walking shoes, 52 Ways to Walk will render redundant all of the usual excuses by presenting creative, weather-conscious options for every type of walker.”— Shelf Awareness Work is the obvious one, so I actually bought myself a walking desk, which is like a treadmill, but it’s got a desk bit on the front … And you can just work while your legs are moving, and I’ve found that really beneficial in so many ways. Things I liked about this book: So many ideas to think about walking in a new way and to keep the simple act of walking from being boring. Ideas to engage all the senses, different times of day, terrain, moods, duration, health benefits, etc.

Due to medical issues I've not been able to walk as much as I usually do these past few months (typically 5 miles in the morning and another 2 or so in the evening), and as I'm currently recovering from surgery, I'm not quite up for a brisk uphill climb in the rain just yet. But I did spend most of the time listening to this book pacing up and down my hallway/kitchen, and am so very much looking forward to being able to get out walking again very soon! We have turned on to a path that follows the Thames. Reflected sunlight gives a chrome cast to the river. “It’s magical,” says Streets, looking out at the refracting glitter, “and when the sun shines down on the water like this it means you get twice as much light, so you get twice the serotonin boost and serotonin is what makes us happy.” This is a typical blend of the scientific and the romantic found in the book. For Streets, a waterfall doesn’t stop being inspiring and wonderful when you know that the presence of negative ions, molecules of air and water charged with electricity, are the reason for your lowered heart rate and reduced stress. Studies on the potential effects of the full moon – covering everything from a higher rate of women going into labour to increases in violent crime – are inconclusive, but Streets feels that adds to “the eerie, enigmatic qualities of a moonlit walk”.

How to Use the Book

između svih tih (ne)izvedivih prijedloga, spontano sam si izabrala nekolicinu na koje ću više obratiti pažnju jer hodati ne namjeravam prestati, a kad je već tako, ajde da izvučem maksimum iz priče.

Ways to Walk is published by Bloomsbury in the UK and Putnam Penguin Random House in the US under Annabel Streets.

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In the author’s own words, this is A love letter to walking. I really enjoyed this fascinating book and I learned a great deal. It’s full of scientifically based advice on the best ways to walk for the benefit of physical and mental health and well-being. But I think if you want to reflect or you want to work out a solution to a problem or sort of have more creative ideas, it probably is best to go on your own or perhaps with a dog but the idea is then you’re not engaged with talking, you’re just engaged with thinking.”

Walking strengthens our bodies, calms our minds and lifts our spirits. But it does so much more than this. Our vision, hearing, respiration, sleep, cognition, memory, blood pressure, sense of smell and balance are all enhanced by how we walk. For instance:

Rather than using a rainy day as an excuse to stay home, this week’s activity encourages us to walk in the rain and reconnect with the elements. The falling rain, increased moisture and persistent pounding of raindrops causes specific compounds to be released and combined with the air we breathe. Inhaling those compounds produces a profound sense of well being in the body. 52 Ways to Walk – Week 12 Walk in the Rain Take a Silent Stroll I wonder if sometimes it’s about perception,” she says, about walking alone. “At home we know all the horror stories and all their locations, but when we’re elsewhere we don’t have that knowledge. We don’t know about the horrible things, so we think we’re safe. And nine times out of 10 we are. We look at women in the past who’ve done big journeys and think they’re intrepid or brave, but they also didn’t have daily news stories about what could go wrong.” The aim of the book is for readers to try a new style of walking each week for a year. Written in a full calendar year, the author has tried to match up walking styles with the seasons, events and weather conditions. 52 Ways To Walk is a handy reference book to pop on your bookshelf and dip into once a week. Put your trainers on, grab your kit (which is covered in the book) and get outdoors. Very doable and very enjoyable.