By Vincent Ramos
Staff Writer
Lately, I’ve started to walk the streets near the high school during lunch. The intertwining streets down Longden and Garibaldi brim with fruit trees and solitude. Virtually no one intrudes on my walks, and although I love the loneliness, the sidewalks are far too lonely.
The after effects of the Industrial Revolution made American suburbs prioritize cars. Consequently, the art of recreational walking gradually died out. It’s disheartening to find myself the only person strolling around the neighborhood. Many streets, mainly the side streets with houses, don’t include sidewalks, leaving no room for people to walk.
Not enough people walk and there’s not enough space. The first is easily solved with a change of mind, however, the second is inherent to city planning and would take an expensive and scrupulous solution. Ideally, an increase of walkers would change the narrative with more sidewalks added as a result, but that comes with time and it’s more of a pipedream. Fortunately, people can easily overcome these suburban restraints and walk around anyway as the absence of a sidewalk shall never hinder a walker’s determination to exercise.
Physically, walking lowers blood pressure, body fat and the chance of early death. The Hong Kong Department of Health studied the physical effects walking had on 71 high school students and found that “the mean body mass index of the participants was reduced by 2.75%.”
Mentally, walking helps fight depression and anxiety. The National Library of Medicine analyzed various studies researching the effects walking, specifically long-distance walking, had on mental well-being in 2021 and concluded that “LDW showed beneficial effects on various aspects of mental distress such as stress, depression, and anxiety.”
In an ever-accelerating and overcrowded society, it’s terribly difficult to find a space where one can step away from machines and find themselves alone with their thoughts in nature. Walking outside is a means of escape from technology and that itself is beneficial to mental well-being. I always find those hour-long, serene walks to be the highlight of my day. The grueling school days are overwhelming with screens bursting out everywhere, and even a mild break through walking frees me from the melancholic mood brought on by technological filth and grants a copious amount of time for introspection.
Walking is an outlet that provides physical, mental and even spiritual benefits. Take a break from the automotive death traps and go on tranquil walks more often. The world is our playground to bipedally explore.