Walk It Out: The Unexpected Creative Benefits of Daily Walking

A daily walk of 20 minutes is enough to meet some exciting characters, find inspiration in nature and defeat any negativity that may be hindering your writer’s voice.

Walking is an excellent form of exercise. We all know this. Every blog I read on the subject of getting into a healthy routine starts with, “go for walks!” Walking is accessible to most everyone and recommended by health professionals everywhere.

However, there are added creative benefits to walking as well.

I am a walker. I walk everywhere. Usually, I begin my day with a brisk 6-kilometre stroll in the early morning hours and try to get in several more walks throughout the day. Come to think of it, I might be a little obsessive when it comes to walking.

The unexpected creative benefits of walking daily:

Four years ago, I began walking daily and have been doing so ever since. I started when my family’s second vehicle broke down, so I was left to wander the 5K trek to work every day.

At first, I was seriously bummed out about it. What? I have to exert energy before even starting work. Lame. However, after a few weeks of dragging my butt out of bed 45 minutes early to set out on my journey, I began to look forward to my daily walks.

I met so many characters.

When I say I met characters, I mean that literally. Despite always having a side gig, like owning a sandwich shop or working at a warehouse, I’ve always been a writer first and foremost. So whatever job I am currently doing to keep myself afloat, writing and the mechanics of storytelling are usually creeping just beneath the surface of my daily obligations.

While walking to work in those first few months, I came across so many interesting people. From fellow wanders themselves to business people who were in a rush and refused to stop and chat with me.

Once, I was walking at an early 5 AM, and an overtired man in a hatchback almost ran me down on the sidewalk because he had fallen asleep at the wheel! Now, if that’s not an inspiration for a story, I don’t know what is.

Walking provides an opportunity to open yourself up to new and fascinating experiences that might not be readily available while driving or staying locked away in your house.

Inspiration Abound!

Not only do the people who nearly run me down in the street while walking strike inspiration, but the scenery does too. Finding a hiking trail surrounded by nature is one of the best ways to clear the mind and boost creativity.

Mostly I walk on bustling city sidewalks because, as previously mentioned, people-watching is my jam. However, when I take my dog out, I tend to opt for more secluded spaces. Here, I can turn on an audiobook and give my brain a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

This morning as I was walking, Lucy (the dog) stopped to smell the roses — literally — and as she did so, a dragonfly landed on the tip of her nose. The moment was beautiful and inspiring. It reminded me of the tiny inconsequential stories this existence is built upon. These small fractures of time do mean something. They’re all untold stories.

Then lucy tried to eat the dragonfly, so that wasn’t as beautiful. But it was super cute.

Walking Kills Negativity

Okay, so there are those few writers who use negativity as a hook to hang their brand on. They write outrageously mean spirited diatribes about all that is wrong with the world today.

Honestly, I get a kick out of these writers. I admire their gull for putting down in words all of the things that come into their head. However, I can’t be one of these people. I’ve tried, but my specific writer’s voice doesn’t compute with this type of brand. My work ends up sounding forced like I am trying to be something I’m not — which is precisely the case.

So, for me, I need to expel negativity before I sit down to write.

A few weeks ago, my husband came home quite late after a night out with friends. I was furious. It wasn’t that he had gone out, we are our own people, and I like to know that we have enough trust in each other to participate in evenings out on our own.

I was mad because he hadn’t called or texted me to let me know he’d be late. I kept waking up throughout the night, noting that he wasn’t home yet and freaking out a little bit more because I imagined him dead in a ditch somewhere from the ever-increasing crime in our city.

In truth, my anger was more selfish than that. I had articles due the flowing day, and I was stressing that I’d be too overtired to complete them. Finally, when he arrived home, I was pulling on my yoga pants to set out for a walk. Of course, I gave him a piece of my mind and then sent him to bed.

My blood was boiling, and I knew that anything I tried to write would sound forced and un-Lindsay. So instead, I followed through with my plan to walk. I walked for two hours that morning, allowing myself to cool down with the fresh morning air.

I cleared my mind, focusing on the crisp leaves from the trees and the tiny squirrels that would dart out on the path before me. I realized that we all make mistakes sometimes. We’ve all forgotten to call home when we are having fun.

I let the anger go, and I kept on walking.

Daily walking is a way to unleash the creative spirit. I have become a much more prolific and proud writer since allowing walking into my life.

Of course, you don’t have to pander to the obsessive walking habits I do to reap the benefits of walking. A daily walk of 20 minutes is enough to meet some exciting characters, find inspiration in nature and defeat any negativity that may be hindering your writer’s voice.

The benefits of walking far exceed just those of bodily health. So strap on some runners and walk — I guarantee you will not be disappointed in the creative benefits you’ll reap.

Lindsay Brown is a mother, writer and wife. Her most recent work can be found in ILLUMINATION, Slackjaw and MuddyUm. If you enjoyed this article you might enjoy:

Thanks for reading, folks!