Where are You Walking?
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
Did you know that the month of May is designated the walking month?
Walking is such a great thing to do. There are many studies on the benefit of walking. Some benefits include the following;
- Maintain healthy weight and lose body fat
- Prevent or manage conditions like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
- Improve cardiovascular fitness
- Strengthen bones and muscles
- Improve endurance
- Increase energy levels
- Reduce stress
Walking also has been found to increase creativity.
Stanford researches conducted a study called “Give your Ideas some legs” where they divided the research participants into two groups. One group sat for an hour before taking a test and the other group walked on a treadmill. On average walking boosted the creativity scores by 60 percent (You can read more in a book titled "Awaken Your Genius." This study is featured on page 116).
In the book Counsels on Health (page 52), Ellen White wrote:
A walk, even in winter, would be more beneficial to the health than all the medicine the doctors may prescribe...The muscles and veins are enabled better to perform their work. There will be increased vitality, which is so necessary to health. The lungs will have needful action; for it is impossible to go out in the bracing air of winter's morning without inflating the lungs.
She wrote this years ago before many of the science studies of today have proven the great benefits of walking.
There is another walk that is far more important: the spiritual walk that God offers to us is vital.
Here are just a few from scripture that talk about walking:
- Romans 6:4 - We can walk in newness of life because we are baptized with Jesus.
- 2 Cor 5:7 - Walk by faith and not by sight
- Galatians 5:16 - Walk by the Spirit not the desires of the flesh
- 1 John 1:6-7 - Walk in the Light as He is Himself is in the Light
This week (or weekend or both) go for a walk.
Most of all keep walking with Jesus.