These are times when there is a lot of chaos, confusion and conflict in our lives and in the world. We need supportive programs that can help us survive, thrive and prosper in these times when old systems are breaking down and new, more sustainable ones are being created. People have been walking for a long time, before we were even human. I walk every day because it brings me joy. It also reduces stress, prevents depression, and, if done with loved ones—human or canine—can improve your health and help you live a longer, healthier life.
When I saw the list of new books released by one of my favorite publishers, New World Library, Walking well by Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman caught my attention. I have been walking all my life and have been a healthcare provider for over fifty years helping men and their families live long and well. The only time in my life that I wasn’t walking every day was when I was running and training for things like the world famous Dipsea race.
First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in America. It operates every year on the second Sunday of June. The scenic 7.4-mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is considered one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The stairs and steep paths make it a grueling and treacherous race. And its unique handicapping system has made men and women of all ages winners.
Now that I’m in my eighties I prefer walking to running. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Michael J. Gelb. We talked about his work over the years, his previous books and his latest book, Walking Well: A new approach to comfort, vitality and inspiration in every step, written with friend and fellow movement artist and educator Bruce Fertman. You can see my interview here.
The world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development, Michael is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, innovative leadership and executive coaching. His books include Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking, The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World, and his most famous book, How to think like Leonardo da Vinci which has sold more than a million copies.
When I first started reading Walking well it didn’t seem to fit in with Michael’s other books. It didn’t look like anything Samurai chess or a business book that could change the world. I wondered how it could help me think like Leonardo da Vinci. But after reading the book and practicing what I learned, I started to change my mind.
When I interviewed Michael, I shared my initial reservations, which he addressed directly.
“I’m glad you shared what you did about your initial skepticism.”
said Michael.
“You understood the finer points of the book. think Walking well it really has the most potential of anything I’ve written to change the world.”
agree. We all know the health benefits of walking, but most of us don’t walk much. After reading this book, you will not only want to walk more, but you will learn how to do it with much more ease and joy. Gelb and Fertman present their book Walking well with this wonderful quote by poet and essayist Gary Snyder.
“Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a heart and soul practice of prime importance to humanity. Walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility.”
I started walking to enjoy the health benefits of walking, of which there are many, and I learned more of them Walking well.
“WALKING is a mnemonic acronym to help you remember these evidence-based benefits”
say Gelb and Fertman.
Weight adjustment.
“The simplest, easiest and most enjoyable way to regulate your weight is to increase the number of steps you take each day and gradually increase your pace.”
Arterial flexibility.
“Arterial stiffness is a critical predictor of cardiovascular disease and stroke. A meta-analysis of research on the effect of walking on promoting arterial flexibility shows that people who walk fewer than 5,000 steps a day generally have stiffer arteries, compared to those who take 7,500 steps each day.
I started a program in our community to get everyone to do a fun 10,000 step walk. We did regular community walks and many continued to walk alone and in small groups. It’s nice to know that research shows there are health benefits with even fewer steps, although I like to walk all our way.
Longevity.
“Decades of research make it clear that if you walk more, you’ll live longer. Along with healthy eating, loving relationships, and a sense of meaning or purpose, daily exercise, especially walking, is one of the key predictors of longevity.
Kidney health.
“American Association of Nephrology Says Walking May Have ‘Profound Benefits’ for Those With Kidney Disease”.
This was a new and important one for me as I developed a kidney problem when I failed to take a full course of antibiotics. I walked and my kidneys have healed. I had no idea there might be a connection.
Impunity.
“Walking is an ideal exercise for boosting immunity. Daily walking helps protect against colds, flu, pneumonia and many other ailments.”
Neuroplasticity.
“Neuroplasticity is the revolutionary theory of what your brain is designed for improve with use. Daily walking, especially in nature, is one of the best ways to create this positive influence.”
Gut health.
“Walking is good for digestion. It helps regulate your gut microbiome optimizes your metabolism, soothes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and eases acid reflux. It helps prevent colon cancer.”
Another health benefit I would add is that walking can be the best, easiest and most enjoyable way to reduce stress and prevent depression, health problems that are becoming more and more prevalent in our world today. One of my favorite books is a small volume by bestselling author Thom Hartmann called Walking Your Blues Away: How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being.
“Trauma is nothing new to the human race”
says Hartman.
“We are certainly familiar with the trauma in the modern world, from acts of war and terrorism to crime, child abuse and the pain caused to our children by our dysfunctional, standards-based schools.”
Hartman notes that people had to deal with mental and emotional wounds in ancient times just as we do today and asks a profound question.
“So how has humanity historically dealt with trauma over the last two hundred thousand years, before the advent of psychotherapy?”
“The mechanisms for healing are built into us”
says Hartman.
“Five million years of evolution, or God’s grace, or both, have made our bodies automatic healing machines. So why shouldn’t the same be true of our minds and emotions?’
Hartmann believes that the mechanism that has been built into humans through evolutionary time is the simple act of walking.
“Stimulating the movement of nerve impulses in the hemispheres of the brain helps people come to terms with their past. They stop being afraid of their imagined future and feel comfortable and empowered in the present.”
Thom Hartmann simply concludes,
“Walking around with a traumatic memory in mind in a certain way can produce this effect in a very short time.”
Perhaps this ancient reality is why some of our healthiest, happiest and most creative people have made walking the cornerstone of their lives.
Michael Gelb and Bruce Fertman tell us that Leonardo da Vinci
“He loved to walk the streets of Florence, Milan, and Rome, but he especially extolled the virtue of walking in nature, and created many of his ideas while walking in the countryside and walking by the sea.”
“Thomas Jefferson, the genius who coined the phrase that reflects our universal quest for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, praised walking as the best possible form of exercise, and yes, he also invented a pedometer to track of his mileage on his daily walks around Charlottesville, Virginia.”
I hope you check it out Walking Well: A new approach to comfort, vitality and inspiration in every step by Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman.
You can learn more by visiting the website:
Michael can be reached at: and Bruce in www.BruceFertman.com
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