During my UG days when I went out on a date with my then BF now hubby, we used to walk around and round and talk. Let me rephrase it was more often, I talked and he listened. For me, that was the direct line to my heart. I fell in love walking with him, while the poor dear bravely listened to all my random dreams and worries and carried my satchel.
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I even wrote a book about How to Walk Write and Garden for the Healthy Life You Want (Wellness series part 1)
Walking for me always had a special place.I used to walk after dinner for one hour inside the Safdarjung hospital campus. We were married, staying in the doctor’s hostel and the post-dinner walk was a great chance to meet and catch up with friends. So both mind and body refreshed. Studying acres of notes, tons of books and writing fresh notes, was easier with this one hour of relaxing walk.
[bctt tweet=”The best part of life comes when you are not watching. Amrita” username=”misra_amrita”]
In 2013 I started my new job and shifted to my hubby’s hometown with a 10-month-old baby and full-time job. Mad days but blessed ones. With a small child and no pedestrian walkways walking was anything but fun. Luckily I had a treadmill that was collecting dust for sometimes. My hubby suggested I start using it. That was 2014.
I have walked mainly on the treadmill since then. Park and nature walks are my favorite walks. But what to do?
[bctt tweet=”You play the cards you are dealt with.” username=”misra_amrita”]At home, I can look at my potted plants, put on my favorite nature sounds and walk away.
At home, I can look at my potted plants, put on my favorite nature sounds, and walk.
I started blogging in 2014 too.I wrote once a month and struggled with writing. Things changed when I clubbed my treadmill, with a DIY wooden plank and made it my writing spot too.
[bctt tweet=”Habits can make or break you.” username=”misra_amrita”]
That’s what I have learned. Writing while walking, makes me feel good and positive and avoid the traps of weak back and poor BMR due to endless sitting.
The treadmill cum standing desk hack
Multitasking is frowned upon. I like mindfulness for most things I do.
What if it prevents lifestyle diseases? This habit of mine lets me walk more and write more. I am clubbing something I resist doing(walking on Treadmill), with something I love doing(writing ).A result, I walk as much as I write, when I write.
That’s when I am on the treadmill I get more work done on the blog, than when I am sitting. Even if I walk slowly at 2 Km per hour, I am walking 2 Km in one hour and writing too. That’s exciting!
Sitting is bad for your health. While the treadmill desk is not for everyone, you should definitely think of using a standing desk. It’s not about calories it’s about your spine, back, and leg muscles. The stronger they are, they will help you more. The weaker they are, your brain will waste resources worrying about them.
Creativity needs nurturing. Walking is as much an exercise for your body as it is for your mind. Even now I go on trips to places with good nature walks. I feel starting walking again together with my gardening has both helped me write.
While walking, my brain becomes calmer and my thoughts more organized. The result is, I write more and quickly. Walking and typing on the laptop, somehow makes the writing quick.I edit and add pics later. But do all rough drafts on the treadmill. Working this way is easier for me.
Don’t believe me?
Read this excerpt from the Stanford research paper where the treadmill desk was also used.
This paper published by Stanford researchers supports, what I have experienced using the treadmill desk.
Walking led to an increase in analogical creativity.Walking,and not being outdoors, was the driver of novel, high-quality analogies. While research indicates that being outdoors has many cognitive benefits, walking has a very specific benefit—the improvement of creativity.
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Creativity needs nurturing…I like it.
I love walking. I can walk for long hours even in my room. I like it because this the time when think, think a lot! About lots of things. I get some ideas for my writing. Plus, it’s the only exercise I can manage. 🙂
Yes I love walking too even in my room
I love nature walks and I understand how it is not possible to do at all locations. The concept of standing desk is trendy right now for all the right health reasons. So I like how you have incorporated it with your love of writing in a safe manner.
Writing and walking are two of my favourite things. Agree sitting for longer period of times is not good. Treadmill with writing board is a great idea.
I never thought of walking while writing. Such a great idea!
I can see how that desk would be good for the spine, I am just not sure that I could take standing up all day and doing it. It would be tiring and hard to concentrate on things I needed to do. But you are probably right on the health front.
I haven’t used a treadmill desk, and the thought hasn’t crossed my mind until now. Writing and walking, who would have thought!! But it’s true what you said about your spine, back and brain and the effects of sitting too long…. thanks for the motivating post.
I love to write. I love to walk. I love walking outside because Nature inspires me to write. I do use treadmill once in a while but that’s purely for workout purposes. Writing, while walking on a treadmill, requires more stability as it needs hand eye coordination and the mind to think simultaneously. It’s too much work for me. ???? Plus, I get motion sick just by trying to read on my phone while sitting in a moving vehicle, so I don’t even dare to imagine writing while walking.
You sure are burning more calories while writing. You are talented, Amrita. ????
What a great solution! I love to walk and think but normally I just jot ideas down in my Notes App. I love how you took walking and writing and made it a real productive option.
Thank you .Yes, it’s definitely one of the few places where multitasking helps.
Very creative to read !! but a skilful task ! I never though of walking and writing at the same time !! but your research show a lot of benefits
Thank you
I never heard about that desk before but it seems to be a great investment. I love the whole article!
Thank you
Great to land here, a pleasant surprise and stumbling on the topic which is so close to my heart and have always loved dwelling so much on this symbiotic relationship between walking and writing. I have exactly experienced the way you have so beautifully captured and narrated, and I have been doing it for long enough to say with certainty the umbilical chord between these two activity apparently one is physical and the other is mental but they have subtle connection that has been scientifically established. It is just that we underscore the significance of that connection mental over the physical benefit.
People like us who have done it and seen it, this connection looks so obvious and we see it on a daily basis the way our outcomes have reflected in the rising graph. Walking is indeed therapeutic and the benefits of well documented but the derived benefits of garnering a whole gamut of new ideas and getting the mind getting clutter free and getting back to our writing zone perhaps is not so much emphasized and explained to creative people like writers.
Walking in the midst of lush green nature is where we are able to nurture our nature and getting the creative juice flowing and making us feel so relaxed and so much inner satisfaction no less than a spiritual liberation.
Thanks Dr. Amrita for sharing such a lovely post!!!
😀
Thank you Nihar very beautifully captured.
I truly love writing & your so right. Your surroundings are so important!
I love to walk and I love to write but I didn’t know anything about a treadmill desk. What a great idea, especially during the winter, when it is too cold and icy to go outside! I would love to try that!!!
Thank you, Alice.It’s actually an excellent hack for writers and those who have to be at a desk for long.
Wow! This information is very new. Never known that writing and walking has a connection. But, normally I would think of topics to write for during my evening walk. I feel more creative while walking. Thank you for this wonderful info and post.
Thanks Suja
The treadmill desk looks like it’s a great investment. I don’t own one. However, I do have to look into getting one. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Tasheena.