October 2, 1998

     The Joys of Walking

Autumn is a great season to walk or hike.  (I usually think of a hike as a long walk.)  For those who like walking through crunchy leaves to enjoy their special aroma, October is the time to visit a woodland spot.  In November, the cold air may bite our faces, but, if there's a spectacular sunset, it's memorable to be out hiking under the colored clouds; or, if a flock of tundra swans passes overhead, their muffled musical whistles can easily be heard.

There are always new things to see and bits of nature lore to treasure.  Walking can be one of the most rewarding pleasures in life and can be enjoyed during each season in Minnesota.

Physicians and health educators agree that what a business person, a teacher or student, or anyone who works in a rather sedentary way needs at the end of the day--when he or she feels tired, nervous, tense, or irritable--is not a stimulant or a tranquilizer, but a brisk walk of 2 or 3 miles.  It will make you feel fresher, stronger, and more alive.  While walking, your mind becomes a fountain of ideas and, if you have problems, each step seems to bring some solutions a bit closer.