A Walk in the Park
Nov 05, 2023
Hello there,
I’m sitting in LaGuardia Airport in New York. My wife decided it would be fun if we flew up here Friday night and walked around Manhattan Saturday. And walked around Manhattan we did.
This was my first trip to New York with my wife. She has been here several times with my kids - they would travel up here when I was away teaching Pressing Reset courses. I’ve only been here once prior to this weekend, but I was also teaching a course, so there was no sightseeing because I am “all business.”
Anyway, in twenty-six years of marriage, this may have been our biggest “on a whim” adventure. And it was wild. This is actually the weekend of the New York City Marathon. Central Park was flooded with excitement and runners. There was a “race before the race,” too. On Saturday, thousands of runners were participating in a 5K. The craziest part is that one of them, a friend from back home, ran up to me and said, “Tim Anderson?” I should have played the lottery yesterday! What are the odds that someone from my hometown would be running in a New York City race and see me, recognize me, and stop to talk to me? That alone blew my mind.
As for the marathoners here this weekend, 55,000 runners have converged to compete or adventure for 26.2 miles in New York City. But not me. My adventure was yesterday (Saturday). My wife and I logged about 30,000 steps of sightseeing, and it was awesome. And it left me with lessons.
Before cars, rails, and other forms of public transportation, 30,000 steps was probably a light day for most people. After all, walking is our energy-conserving, yet energy-consuming, designated form of locomotion. I don’t know if it’s accurate, but my Apple Watch tells me I burned about 1100 active calories yesterday. That’s about twice the amount of active calories I burn in a typical day; of course, I also walked over 20,000 steps more than usual. The cool part is that I wasn’t tired, but I was hungry, especially the following day when I woke up. And I never usually feel hungry, at least not like this. My body wanted food this morning, and that was so neat for me to experience because usually, I tell my body when it’s hungry. But not today. I heard my body say, “I want food,” loud and clear.
Anyway, like I said, my trip has left me with lessons. I can’t shake the thought that actively living inside our design, walking throughout most of the day, and resting periodically while we socialize with friends just may be the “missing link” to our health or quality of life. I know our current world doesn’t really allow for this on a day-to-day basis, but it may be worth intentionally seeking these opportunities on a regular basis. To be able to leisurely cover 12 miles a day by walking, using the body’s design of locomotion, the very design that builds and protects the brain, the very design that keeps the body tied together and helps ensure that all its systems are working properly, this is a wonderful gift.
The body wants to feel loved, needed, and appreciated. Walking is a fantastic way to satisfy these needs. Walking uses the design of the body to keep it nourished. The body works on a “use it or lose it” or a “use it to have it” system. Using it means you need it, you want it. Understanding this and appreciating its simplicity, then purposefully engaging in it, means you love your body.
And in that love, you flush your limp nodes, you strengthen your diaphragm, you keep your arteries and veins clear, you stimulate your organs, you improve your digestion, you strengthen your inner core unit, and you keep deterioration away from your brain. Feeling the hunger, I felt this morning, I’m even wondering if walking could help us better understand how to fuel and nourish our bodies, therefore helping to optimize our health and improve our relationships with food.
Anyway, my point is that walking in our design preserves us and allows us to experience a life of adventure and memorable moments. It’s one of the best movements for creating wholeness within ourselves and connectedness within our social relationships. And it may be one of the best things we can do to feel amazing in our own bodies. I slept well last night. I feel great today. And when I get home, I’m going for a walk.
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