My best friend sent me an article last week (that her husband found) about the benefits of exercising, specifically the benefits for your brain by simply walking. I recommend the quick read. I was particularly interested in the experiment that provided “mental” stimulation but no exercise vs. the exercise only group.

When my boys get stuck in a bickering mode, I like to start fresh. I try to separate them and get them interested in something new. I forgot that when they were little and we were all cranky the usual solution was to go for a walk down our very, very long gravel driveway. The cows, flowers, pond, and occasional milk truck would dissolve our annoyances. This article reminded me of that power.

Seems not only our muscles and heart want the motion, but our brain does too. Walking is a powerful mood lifter. In fact, the term hiking comes from hill walking, something encouraged in the UK after World War I, to lift the spirits of war dampened souls. It’s as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, something we’ve done since the beginning of human existence. Linking it to good feelings may have come later, but who knows?

I took the kids walking (hiking?) last week down a dry creek bed. Our walks are different now. It’s not the powerful discovery’s of a 2-year-olds chubby fingers showing me dried corn cobs from last year’s combine harvest. Now we discuss the best NASCAR drivers or share the distinct pleasure from balancing properly across the narrow log bridge. The boys grow, the chatter changes, but still, we shall walk on.