Finding the Beauty and Importance of Walking One Step at a Time

Guest Writer: Addison Bethard (’25)

It seems like the lives we live move at the pace of a record breaking sprint. We run from one thing to another with calendars that are jam packed with classes, people, activities, and obligations. These are not inherently bad things, but rarely do we take moments to slow down from this neck breaking speed. To counter this sprint, I have found that one of the best ways to slow down in life is to slow down physically. For me, this slowing down has most often taken the form of being outside and going for a walk. Our world is in dire need of rest and peace as well as spaces that allow for human connection. All of these things have come to fruition when I step out of my front door onto 14th street and take a walk.

As college students we naturally clock a bit of mileage walking to classes, meals, and activities around campus. This walking though is often out of necessity and has an end destination in mind. When walking for the sake of walking you are typically ending up at the same place you start. The joy is truly in the journey not the destination. 

The human body is designed to move. There is plenty of research to back up the claim that to be and feel our best our bodies need to be active in some way. The current recommendation for adults is 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week. I have so much respect for the avid gym goers of the world, but moving your body doesn’t have to include any fancy machines or heavy weights. Going on a walk gets your muscles moving and your heart beating a little faster. It is certainly a different workout than playing a game of basketball or lifting, but I have discovered that walking is the sneakiest way of being physically active. When I set out on a journey I often do not realize how long or far I have walked for and it isn’t until I am home that I realize maybe I am a little tired. Where running or lifting is sometimes a mental game, walking serves as a way to rest both mind and body.

Our world is in desperate need of connection and spaces where individuals can be fully present with each other. There is something so sweet about simply walking and talking with another human being. There is something special about being in motion together that opens up a conversation and gives it a natural flow. On a walk you have no other option but to be present. There is a forced intentionality that happens when you say yes to entering into that space with another person. I have never gotten home from a walk with someone and felt like I didn’t know them better than when we started. It can be hard and sometimes scary to be the person that reaches out. My encouragement though is to be the person that asks. What better way to spend half an hour than being outside, breathing in fresh air, and connecting with another human being? 

I truly love walking alongside others, and I have had some incredible conversations while exploring the streets of Holland. And while the importance of human connection cannot be emphasized enough, I have found that walking by myself can also provide space for rest that is difficult to get anywhere else. There are very few moments where there is nothing that needs to be done other than putting one foot in front of the other. When I walk there is not a task that needs to be accomplished. I am free to let my mind wander, talk to God, or just be still. I can take in creation and simply be in the presence of God. At first I was a little unsure about the idea of taking myself on a walk, but these moments provided rest and peace in seasons where it was desperately needed and a closeness to God and His creation that seemed hard to find in the everyday business of life. Going on a walk probably won’t solve the problems of the world, but when you make the intentional choice to walk, you make space for connection, movement, and moments of peace. By letting your mind and body rest for just 30 minutes a day, you create the possibility for your brain to one day change the world with just one step at a time. 

(Featured image source: HCA Houston Healthcare website)