The Thammasat University Libraries have newly acquired a book about how taking a walk now and then can add to brain power. A Philosophy of Walking is by Frédéric Gros, a professor of political philosophy in France. Professor Gros points out how many important writers and thinkers took regular walks during which they thought of some of their best ideas. Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Friedrich Nietzsche were all devoted walkers, as were such writers as Kant, Arthur Rimbaud, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack Kerouac. According to Professor Gros, the main point is that even if walks are not exciting, they can take us away from our usual everyday routine, and allow new ideas to enter our heads. Some people enjoy taking long and challenging walks, and these hikes make us deal with the weather or feeling hungry, also taking our minds off the usual small problems that fill our days. Just as a big project can be divided into small sections, a long walk can be seen as a series of small steps that will eventually bring us back home. Professor Gros notes:
Basically, walking is always the same, putting one foot in front of the other. But the secret of that monotony is that it constitutes a remedy for boredom. Boredom is immobility of the body confronted with emptiness of mind. The repetitiveness of walking eliminates boredom, for, with the body active, the mind is no longer affected by its lassitude, no longer drawn from its inertia the vague vertigo in an endless spiral.… The body’s monotonous duty liberates thought. While walking, one is not obliged to think, to think this or that. During that continuous but automatic effort of the body, the mind is placed at one’s disposal. It is then that thoughts can arise, surface or take shape.
Dr. Andrew Weil, an American physician, calls walking the best exercise:
Walking offers the great advantage of requiring no skill or practice. Everyone knows how to do it, and the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes. You can walk outdoors or indoors (in shopping malls, for example). It is probably the safest option of all, with the least chance of injury. The main problem with walking as a principal aerobic activity is that you can easily fail to do it strenuously enough to get the conditioning benefits of exercise. Aerobic walking cannot be casual or intermittent, and it takes a little more time than the other options. You should be able to walk about three miles in forty-five minutes. If, after building up to that, you still do not get a good workout, you will have to walk faster, do some uphill walking (long, gradual hills are best), or carry hand weights. (Never use ankle weights, which can stress joints and lead to injury.) Good posture is important during walking exercise, and swinging the arms opposite to the movement of the legs makes for a better stride. Walking with special poles (like ski poles) is another option. Athletic supply stores can give you advice about good walking shoes. The right shoes are as essential for aerobic walking as for running. If you become accomplished at walking, you can join walking tours throughout the world or look into race walking, an advanced technique taught at some fitness clubs.
Dr. Weil also cites some medical studies that show the health benefits of walking:
Putting in 45 brisk minutes a day is quite simply the best practice I can imagine for a lifetime of health. If you begin a daily walking program today, you can expect to enjoy: Longer life: A study of some 8,000 men published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that over 12 years, walking two miles a day dropped the risk of death by nearly 50 percent. Walking seems to be particularly protective against cancer. The walkers cut their risk of death from cancer during the study period by about 65 percent. Lower weight. Several studies have shown that walking from 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day – roughly four to five miles – is highly effective as a means of weight loss. A better brain. The National Council on Aging found that walking 45 minutes daily at a rather brisk 16-minute mile pace significantly boosted cognitive performance in people over age 60. Another study found that walking 40 minutes three times weekly slowed the normal, age-related shrinkage of the hippocampus. This part of the brain consolidates short-term memory and is one of the first regions to be damaged in those who have Alzheimer’s disease. While walking is indeed a gentle, safe exercise, it should not be effortless. To derive real benefit, you should be able to cover about three miles in forty-five minutes – a brisk pace. You should breathe more quickly and notice a slightly elevated heart rate, but still be able to easily carry on a conversation. Speaking of conversing, one of the best things about walking, as opposed to solitary workouts in a gym or violent team sports, is that it lends itself to sociability. I highly recommend walking with a companion whenever possible – two-legged and four-legged versions both appreciate the exercise and company.
Thailand and Walking
Even though parts of Bangkok are almost impossible to walk through because of traffic and the way the city is organized, some parts remain interesting places for walking. The Thai Tourism Society announces free Thai-language tours on its Facebook page. One such tour in October 2015 was described in The Nation. A group of around 50 people were led through Dusit district, by Ajarn Apivat Covintranon, a retired lecturer. Yet walking in Thai cities is not limited to Bangkok. The Nation also reported in September 2015 about a Saturday walking street in Pattaya. Unlike the noisier tourist areas of Pattaya, this walking street is a small road through the Chinese community of Ban Chagngaew. There residents wear classical Chinese costumes and sell food in front of old wooden shops. This traditional stroll through the past is a refreshing change from the other, more widely known side of Pattaya life. Khun Taweebhong Wichaidit of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration office in Pattaya noted that the appreciation of Thai heritage and tradition already helped the floating market of Amphawa, Samut Sakhon, which has become a tourist attraction. Ban Chagngaew too still has old houses and streets which are atmospheric to walk through. The walking street is just under a kilometre long. Volunteers hand out paper parasols at the entrance. Visitors enjoy fish-maw soup, beef noodles and hoi jor, deep-fried crab rolls.
More Adventurous Walking
For those eager to try more challenging and strenuous walks in the Kingdom, companies such as Trekking Thailand offer a range of possibilities. Mae Hong Son province and other parts of northern Thailand are recommended for walks over mountains and through river valleys to visit hill tribe villages. A typical one day program takes from six or seven hours, with the trekkers dropped off by car at a scenic place on a mountain, before trekking downhill to admire nature.
Another company, NatureWalks Thai-Myanmar, also proposes exploring Mae Hong Son and the Thai-Myanmar border area. This sample schedule shows that trekking is more athletic than wandering through a market street in a city:
DAY 1.
9.00 am. Car pick up. Short drive. We start walking along a local hill tribe trail. A very narrow and rough trail, leading down to the Mae Hong Son creek. We hike through the creek, deep gorges, ravine, and forest. We walk through water several time. There are many rivers to cross. You will get your feet wet, and will find it a very nice experience. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the river side. In the afternoon, continue hiking through luxuries evergreen jungle. See massive climbing lianas, green bamboo stems, rattan palms, creeping plants such as Philodendron and Vanilla, and undergrowth plants, Wild Gingers, Ferns, Begonias, Arrowroot, Arum, etc. Ascending to Karen farmland, we see slash-and-burn rice fields. Pass through terraced paddy fields. Arrive in Ban Hua Nam for a home stay with a Karen family. Learn about their culture. Guide and porters prepare delicious Thai meals. Enjoy dinner by candlelight.
As ways of appreciating plants and animals rarely seen by city residents, these nature hikes can be valuable experiences. Yet another company offering trekking experiences, Jon’s Natural Walks, also focuses on Mae Hong Son. There are also enjoyable and educational tours outside Chiang Mai where experienced trekkers advise for shorter hikes:
Don’t hike alone! If you do go on your own, make sure somebody knows where you are going.
Go with somebody who knows the way and if possible take a GPS. But don’t rely only on the GPS; batteries usually run out when you need them most. Take spare batteries anyway.
Know that the mobile phone network is not available in the remote places where you will be hiking.
Wear proper hiking shoes and take a hiking stick (a bamboo stick works fine). Know that many trails have steep slopes and can be slippery (even in the dry season).
Take enough drinking water: at least 1.5 to 2 liter for a half-day hike.
Take some energy bars or other snacks.
Take a first-aid box with some basic items: adhesive bandages, betadine (or other antiseptic), tweezers, scissors, elastic bandages (for sprains), adhesive tape, pain medication, pocket knife, a piece of rope, etc.
Wear a hat against the sun.
Take a compass.
Take a whistle to draw attention in case you need to be found. Remember that the pattern for S.O.S. is: short-short-short, long-long-long, short-short-short.
Depending on the season you may need insect repellent, rain coat, or clothes that protect you from leeches.
Don’t litter.
Don’t smoke.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).