How I Use Walking to be More Productive
Walk to boost productivity: exercise, sun, ideas, stress relief, no traffic. Tips from Northeast roots to Houston's car-centric streets. Start walking now!
By Ken Morico on I love walking. It’s low effort -- high reward. Here’s some reasons I do it:
- Exercise
- Sun exposure
- Idea generation
- Sense of accomplishment
- Stress release
- Avoid driving / traffic
I grew up in the NorthEast, and we have a walking culture. The cities are small, but dense. The are often planned with a church plaza or green in the center. Trains are central to travel, and people often walk to and from the train stations.
If everything you need is centrally located, why would you drive? Makes sense, right?
The Fitness
Many Americans aren’t physically fit. It’s often recommended to walk as a simple way to start a fitness routine. But fit people love walking, too. It’s a universal life skill / habit. It’s worth mastering a routine.
See the Sun
The sun generates blue light, which helps your body know when it’s time wake up. The sun isn’t completely negative for your health and you don’t always need sunscreen. Do your research: blue light, UV index.
There’s something simply awesome about feeling the warm sun on your face in the morning.
Get Ideas
Steve Jobs used to go on walks often and discuss business. Movement allows your brain to think in ways you just can’t when you sit down.
Stuck on a business or personal problem? You might solve it by walking.
Feel Accomplishment with a Walk
When I walk, I like to have somewhere to go. I know that you can walk just for exercise, but to me it seems kind of boring. I like to walk to parks, coffeeshops, or places to run errands. I even walked to my doctor’s office which was 4.5 miles away and he was shocked. Think of where you can walk to. Try going further and further.
Podcasts and music are critical to walking for me. I keep my iPhone with me and Apple AirPods Pro. The new AirPods Pro have a nice balance mode where it allows some environmental noise and some blocking. Plus, if you need to talk to someone it automatically lowers the volume. Really cool.
Release Stress with Walking
Let’s be honest, we get stressed from everything in today’s modern world. Finances, news flow, social media, job, traffic, etc. Just go walk and relax. There’s usually some green outside even if you aren’t in the country. Homeowners, businesses, and multi-family property owners spend a fortune on landscaping in the city. Walk and enjoy it.
Ditch the Car / Traffic
Who wants to drive? Not me. I once saw a signature on a user forum that someone had that said, “Traffic is for poor people.” It’s true. People that pay high rent in the city don’t need cars. People in the suburbs with money could just pay a driver or Uber. Everyone else needs to deal with traffic. I say just walk, or combine walking with an eBike or electric scooter.
Traffic is so stressful and drivers have never been more rude. How many times do we see road rage incidents on the news? What’s funny is that drivers are nicer to you when you’re walking versus if you are in a car.
I know many places are seemingly too hot or cold to walk, but I’ve figured out a trick. Stop somewhere half-way to get warm or cool. Break up the walk. That will help you carry on to your walking destination.
The Future
I now live as a digital marketer in Houston, which, like Los Angeles, is a car-based city. Everything is designed for getting to and from places with a car. But that is slowly changing. Younger generations see the value in walking and making a “walkable city.”
New bike paths, pedestrian paths, and parks all contribute to making cities livable. They also increase the value of real estate which really pushes the walkable city agenda.
If Houston, a city famous for fossil fuels, is changing, the rest of the country will.
Here’s a great idea: just go for a walk now!