The seven reasons I absolutely love walking and listening to audiobooks (and podcasts)

1.  It's a solid form of meditation. Everything else shuts down, no stress, no overthinking, and very limited planning. All focus is concentrated on the material playing into my ear (just one, because the other pod's been lost). The mind wanders of course, but then I quickly realize, unwind and get back in the groove.
   
   
2. So easy to read books! I don't have to worry about losing focus because there's not much else happening, skipping pages and chapters is so much effort I barely do it, and even books and chapters that I otherwise would never have read are gone through well enough because I don't have the energy to seek to a different point in the playing media.
   
   
3. Walking is a workout, gets me some physical exercise. The way I'm doing it, specially when my knees haven't been on the same page as myself, isn't great for high-intensity training, but just being out and about means the body is not cooped up inside, and that's not something most people can say.
   
   
4. Being with nature is its own benefit. Most days I go to Volunteer park, and interlaken park on good days. Need I say more? When I recover with the right knee, the arboretum too will come back in play.
   
   
5. The time walked and listened is the time not wasted and stressed. Getting away from the computer, no matter what, is always time well  invested. What a fantastic excuse to not play on my phone or use the computer!
   
   
6. What a glorious opportunity this is also to get wet in the rain, be cold, experience the seasons and the weather. Walking for walking's sake is one thing, walking in every weather, come rain or shine is a whole different experience, an elevated one.
   
   
7. Avoiding the cacophony of downtown seattle traffic is a benefit in itself, as I have to walk at least twice-weekly to Downtown Seattle, and without the earbuds, it would be a lot more stressful, all that car noise.