Walking..Perfect Exercise for Mind and Body

Out here in Maple Valley, WA., we are fortunate to have an abundance of walking trails. The one I use most often is the Lake Wilderness trail. It runs around Lake Wilderness up to the Cedar River Trail and really offers a beautiful view of the lake. But you can find a place to walk no matter where you live. Whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, you can always find a place to walk, and find your own enjoyment.

I haven't always been so fortunate to live and walk out here in God's country. In fact, I've lived in the city most of my life. I remember many times walking with a childhood friend Bob across town from West Baltimore to East, a hike of about 10 miles. Walking through the city had it's own pleasures and challenges, like unrelenting traffic and seedy neighborhoods, where your walk sometimes quickly became more like a jog and then a sprint, but we survived and have good memories of those days.

One nice aspect of my walks out here is all the things I notice along the way. From little animals to flowers, to the sounds of nature, it seems that there's always something new to discover. One thing I've observed on my walks and encounters with other people is how many of them are wearing headphones with CD, cassette, or more likely today MP3 players. While they have their own good reasons for doing this, it seems to me that they're missing out on much of the nice stuff along the way.

Walking is, I believe, the great all around exercise. It costs nothing, just about anyone can do it to some degree, and it's good not just for the body, but for the soul as well. If you haven't done it in a while, get out and take a walk today. You'll feel better, and you just may notice some things that you haven't seen in years.

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