Wandering My Favorite Exercise

+++ title = “12” date = 2019 +++

I’ve never been much for “going on a walk.” The idea seemed to trivial to me when I was young. My parents would go on a walk in loops around our neighborhood, and while I’d join them sometimes, I just didn’t get it.

But it just wasn’t presented to me properly. “Going for a walk” is uninspiring, but wandering is absolutely enlightening. 

Over the past few days, I’ve spent my mornings with my son wandering around, discovering and exploring whatever I can find with him. I return home sweaty and out of breath, getting all the same cardio benefits that I would from a walk, but with other, more fascinating gifts.

Like, discovering a pond that has koi fish and a turtle.

Or a little meditation garden, with fountains.

Or a little path with a bridge nearby.

These are really the gifts that the exploration gives me. The cardiovascular exercise is of course beneficial too. But if my walks were just about raising my heart rate, I’d stop doing them sooner than later.