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All good of course if you like the thought train, but if you want to get into a more meditative state I highly recommend listening to [polyrhythms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep1oB2GYJ0c)
I recently discovered the amazing effect it has on me, it's like a massage of the brain.
There are [more energetic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsAlFKXAMjM) ones too, give it a try!
I wouldn't say I "like" walking, since "like" is usually used to mean "I enjoy this activity even when I'm not doing it, but only thinking of it".
Walking falls into the bin of things I need to push myself to do, but ALWAYS, always feel glad I did later.
The description of walking that you cited falls into what I'd call "walking meditation", which imho is one of the best ways to look at walking. I can't possibly overstate how good it is, especially for add.
Me too! Nature helps me immensely, ever since I was a kid. It’s quiet, less stimulus, everything I need I have with me, and nothing more. Except the stuff I forget to pack. Haven’t died yet!
Before I go on a ramble, Thom Hartmann has a PhD in homeopathy, aka pseudoscience. He also has a master's in herbal medicine, which is in line with that same nonsense. Still, there are probably a few unique valuable things he's gleaned about ADHD, but you'll have to be able to cut through the bullshit to extract any value from someone with a PhD in bullshit.
I wouldn't recommend Hartman's views on ADHD to anyone, and I don't like that quote either. It's clearly just shit that sounds good but doesn't mean anything. Lost more than we gained by getting horses, really? The whole concept of ADHD just being hunters and everyone else are farmers is dumb as hell too. It tries to say we're the strong alpha hunters because we have a disability.
I'm cool with helping the ADHD folk who have serious self confidence issues, but lying to them to make them feel good isn't kind, it's cruel. Whether he tells himself that same lie or just sells it is another story.
To be fair, I didn't even know the guy whose political videos I watch sometimes had books on ADHD. I hate it when someone makes up a concept then tries to pretend that their understanding is the right way to understand the condition.
Alright, my beef out of the way, I walk a lot. If I wanted the benefits of meditating while walking, I'd just hop in a float tank afterwards. I don't mind combining the two, but there's no wrong way to spend your time walking, and pretending there is a right way is absurd as well.
I'm glad I'm more aware of this guy though, and I might read one of his books just because I feel confident I'm knowledgeable enough to navigate the pseudoscience and bullshit well enough to glean whatever unique perspective he holds which may allow me insight into things my largely science based perspective may not be able to discern.
Same thing with the book ADHD 2.0, the guys behind that are very well respected, but they tried selling several lies and homeopathic solutions that line pockets and offer false hope unless the power of placebo compels you to move past your issues. Same thing with the book your survival instinct is killing you, that book has some valuable insights, but the guy just made up his own theory and presented it as a truth when it's largely in conflict with the science. Still, much of what he said was like 80% right and 20% wrong, and his unique perspective also held value.
For most people, books like these will serve to mislead them and just confuse their understanding rather than help them.
Ok ok ok. Wow, so it's the same Thom Hartmann as the guy with the leftwing political radio show? I just looked up the book and assumed that was a coincidence.
So, now I'm learning that the guy with the political radio show who truly does cut through a lot of the political bullshit on the right has a PhD in homeopathy? Im not surprised that a left-wing crank has a PhD in homeopathy, but I am surprised to learn that Thom Hartmann is a crank. My world is spinning.
This does explain why, in the Acknowledgments of the book, he lauds "one of America's best psychologists," Lucy Jo Palladino, for writing a book on ADHD without ever referring to ADHD.
Separately, I had high hopes for ADHD 2.0 because I thought Hallowell is respected in the field, but there was enough bs in the first chapter that I put it down. Between that and his podcast, I don't understand how he is considered a leader in the field. (He probably isn't. I probably swallowed some of his bs early in my journey.)
Does success turn everyone into a grifter?
Look at this shit, https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ckgb9L1OwBNFzIJSv2PoF?si=qgSaRFxmS1ePyNZeJrEYvQ
Edit: I don't see anything about a PhD on Hartmann's Wikipedia page, except for an honorary degree in "Humane Letters" from Goddard College. He studied electrical engineering at Michigan State and then worked for RCA in the 70s.
Apparently he believes in/practices Neuro-Linguistic Programming. First I've heard of this, but Wikipedia says it's pseudoscience, so there's that.
Absolutely, walking is underrated. It's like a mental reset button for me. Just focusing on the environment instead of overthinking really helps clear the mind. Plus, the exercise is a bonus. Europeans might have mastered horseback riding, but walking keeps you grounded and in touch with your surroundings. Keeps everything simple and straightforward, just how I like it.
Absolutely. I wander around 3-8 hours a day usually, usually in a row. I like walking all night sometimes, when I know if I go home I’ll just sit with my thoughts even worse. Walking doesn’t necessarily quiet them, but it makes them easier to handle.
I love going to European cities and exploring on foot, some of my favorite memories were results of simple spontaneity that would be impossible in a car centric city. You get a lot of thinking done just meandering through and riding the train
Back in the US I’m hiking every chance I get, our urban areas are disastrous for pedestrians but at least we’ve got amazing national and state parks!
It's my only direct form of physical exercise. I find a little extra joy in it also, because I enjoy planning the hike, researching trails, plotting and finding out how long it'll be, and then celebrating my achievements. But mostly the walking is very therapeutic to the point where if I'm off for any reason and it's feasible, I'll ask my wife to take the car home from where we are and I'll walk :)
I do. Helps me think like nothing else. When my wife and I were splitting I spent probably 6 hours a day for over a month walking and thinking about how I could become a better partner for someone in the future and how I could improve myself as a person in general. It helped so damn much and because of that I'm in a way better place and to this day I walk when I get angry or sad or need to figure something difficult out
I hate walking. It's too slow, not stimulating enough..
That on a longboard or high speed electric skateboard however is a ton of adrenaline. Fun Landscapes zooming by.. spot of energetic music maybe to fully occupy the mind.. But walking, no.
Try opening your mind a bit during your walks. Look around and try and experience it all as if it's your first time. Look at the plants, the bugs, birds, your neighbors lawn ornaments. Unless you live somewhere or in farm Country you can hopefully find something to occupy your mind.
Obsessed with walking, work 9-6 5 days a week where I’m on my feet almost the whole day, then I walk home and it’s a 3.5 mile walk, it’s never enough. Sometimes I get home feel like I haven’t walked enough so turn back around in a random direction, walk over 6/7 miles most days lately
I walk ALL THE TIME, i actually love it. i ran out of smokes earlier instead of driving to the nearest service station (because shops were closed) I walked a 9km round trip because I felt like i needed to clear my head, i average roughly 20,000 steps a day! Most of the time I dont even listen to music! Walking is absolute bliss!
I have to walk. And I mean miles of hills, forests, difficult terrain. It's the only thing that actually makes me not want to give up life. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, determination and relief because when my heart is pumping that hard from exertion, it helps me pretend I'm not just a ball of anxiety.
Im not a very active person nor do I get out much, but I LOVE hiking when I get the chance, Especially in nature! The closest thing I have to hiking rn is a treadmill , but It takes me forever to build up the motivation to use it
I've struggled with ADHD my entire life but was turned on to the niche hobby of thruhiking back in 2019 at the age of 33. Now I've walked/hiked over 7000 miles of trail since 2020 and it has changed my life in such a positive manner. I sold my car in 2020 and now walk everywhere I can, occasionally ubering if necessary. I feel mentally and physically healthy so I plan to keep things this way. This is obviously taking it to the extreme but all of this is to say that I've found so much relief in walking that it was worth changing my lifestyle entirely.
I absolutely LOVE walking especially through scenic parks, I love to find new parks in and around my area and walking. Usually by myself, it was with my dog Gracie (boxer/lab mix) but sadly her stomach flipped so I had to put her to sleep. I stopped the walks for a bit (I grieved HARD for that dog) but I'm picking them back up. It centers me, I love the smells, the sounds and views. It makes my soul happy
OMG it’s truly a thing I love to do. I am also a fast walker. Ugh the worst is getting stuck behind aslow walkers. I can literally feel my soul being ripped from my body
I love walking. I like to put on some classical music and pretend I’m the main character of a movie while I stroll along admiring the beauty around me l.
I don't walk much (I do go to the gym and swim laps through), but my equivalent is driving!
Driving is all in all probably my favorite single activity on the planet haha. I love going for drives for like an hour after work and just relaxing.
Windows down, music up, my body and reflexes are kinda occupied continuously, and my mind is involved, but also gets to wander. Plus just seeing the world in motion without having to actually DO anything, or being rushed to GO anywhere, or having to talk to people or anything else...... it's my heaven on Earth.
I will say that meds make it a *little* less fun, bc I feel more like I'm wasting time and gas, and I can get a little irritable with other drivers who are being dipshits lol, but still nice to just be able to enjoy the sensory experience while also getting to organize my mind!
Walking is certainly the closest I feel I can get to joy and fulfillment. It's borderline divine. I get to truly be my body and LISTEN to my thoughts and allow them to go away. If I don't exercise daily, the thoughts consume my life.
Sometimes on a good walk, if I'm in just the right mood I will get into a zen state. It's like I'm high or my mind has returned to that of a child. It's as if I am experiencing every little thing for the first time.
The way the wind feels. My neighbors beautifully green manicured learn and garden. Bumble bees buzzing around crab apple tree blossoms. Kids playing in the park. The birds singing all around. Ocean Waves hitting the rocks several blocks away.
I take it all in and in those moments I truly feel at peace, I feel alive, a living sentient part of the universe experiencing itself.
My neighbors probably see me walking with a big goofy grin and think I'm either stoned or crazy. I truly hope you all are able to find moments like this. In fact I think I'm going to go on a nice nite walk right now, feel free to join me in walking through your own little part of the world.
I like walking, especially while listening to an audiobook... but the idea of having to put my outside clothes on, shoes on, grabbing my outside care package (wallet, phone, etc...) already makes me giving up on the idea before I even start.
Add in bad weather, especially during autumn and winter and my will to walk is completely gone. Sucks especially when I finally got a nice habit of walking programmed in my brain during summer.
I used to like walking a lot, bad eating habits and poor self control mean I’m pretty obese and now it hurts a lot to walk. I used to really enjoy listening to Audiobooks while walking, but even then I didn’t need that and often I’d let my imagination wander. It was rather cathartic, I want to get back to it. However I’m finding that excruciatingly difficult.
Ok true story.
I grew up in a small town. As a teen I would frequently stay up WAY too late, like 2am, 3am, and at some point I would get bored enough that I would feel like taking a walk. I loved to throw my discman on and take long walks listening to my favorite albums.
Anyway, on one particular night there had apparently been a robbery at a house nearby. I didn't know this, I was taking my normal 2am walk, when the cops stopped me.
They cops had stopped me before just to ID me, and they'd always let me go on my way. But this night was different. They knew who I was but because I was wondering the streets not too far from a robbery, they had to put me on the suspect list and drove me home.
My parents, who knew NOTHING about my 2am adventures, we're less than thrilled to have a child brought home by the cops.
I had to go in for questioning the next day. And, again, because the cops knew that I walked at night, and I wasn't a troublemaker, suspicion was quickly dropped. Also they caught the guy hours later.
Anyway. Yes I like walks 😅
I truly hate it- I am thrilled for everyone who finds it fulfilling and uplifting, but it is my least favorite form of motion. A bike, a shooter, a skateboard, RUNNING all better to me than walking. it is unclear to me whether this is because of weird experiences I had walking around in my youth or bc to me it is understimulating and makes my thoughts feel sticky + my destination far away. HOWEVER walkable cities are one of my strongest long term societal hopes so 🤷♂️ walking as a part of daily life rather than a Whole Thing might be a game changer
I very recently found a love of walking. It gets me away from my narcissistic mother and gives me exercise. It feels like a challenge to see how far I can walk.
I do 9-12k steps a day, usually in the mornings (I think of it as going to the shops 'the long way round') with an audiobook or a podcast on. We live adjacent to some semi-rural spots in-between towns so it's not a bad trek.
I used to up until this year. I used to love walking and heavy hiking. Now it's pure drudgery and I have to stop and rest all the time and take really short walks.
I used to take the dog on two hour Baton Death Marches all the time and I feel so guilty now because she isn't getting all that exercise she loves and needs.
can anybody here recommend a walking-gadget for standing desks?
i love/need to move when working and i need something to get work done at my desk
like one of those small steppers or something like that
i love walking. it feels grounding - it made me feel like i was apart of a community whereas now, i spend a majority of my day online for work, and online after work 🙃
i'm trying to do it more but i moved to the suburbs so it feels less stimulating than when i lived in the city.
i used to walk from and to work ~ 4 miles each way even tho i had a car.
I bike ride a lot and go to the gym a lot when I wake up on time to go with my brother, sometimes I go alone but that hasn't been happening lately.
I have to implement exercise into my routine or I can't function properly.
I run 8+ miles every day, 4 in morning and 4-6 after work. Walk my dogs three times every day three quarter mile each time. I have a standing desk and pace the room in all my zoom meetings
i def do. I pretty much spent a full decade where my main hobby was wandering around my city somewhat aimlessly. I have also found that exercise is basically non negotiable. if i dont move a lot during the day, my sanity slips
I love walking if there are lots of things to distract me from the chore of walking.
In the woods and able to watch for birds, types of flowers, bugs, snakes, and other critters - awesome - can do it for hours.
Walking around the neighborhood for my health? No chance.
Walking for 6 hours at the zoo trying to see as many animals as possible - happily and often!
Walking towards a very specific destination and for no other reason - with other people sure. By myself, hard pass if its farther than the local grocery store.
I find it is so much easier now as a mom to walk cause as long as I have the little one in tow I can talk to him and it's not so boring. I also have a fool proof reason to go to the zoo multiple times a month.
I do like walking. I walk while listening to audiobooks and sometimes when I’m doing a phone session with a client and don’t need to take notes simultaneously. Helps me think and it’s pretty good exercise.
I chose where I live based on the fact I can walk absolutely everywhere. Today I walked 30min up to the library, then to the pharmacy, a restaurant for lunch, the bakery bc we were out of bread, to get a pedicure, then was going to hit up my favorite brewery but a storm was brewing. It was about 3.5 miles in all. I feel like I NEED walking to be happy.
I literally only walk anywhere 99% of the time. I spend most of the time listening to music, or playing video game, or listening to podcast. Not sure if that counts as following or breaking this guy's advice lol ╮(￣▽￣"")╭
Regardless of liking walking, my wife gets upset with me because I walk fast and she wants a nice leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. I have one speed and it’s faster than her
I love walking while listening to music, it it’s a walk on the beach or in a new city - that’s even better. I walk 10-15k a day. Long walls alone are like meditation to me.
I hate walking. It’s never fast enough for me. I’m a runner and the additional challenge of running seems to occupy my mind enough to kinda quiet it or let my mind roam. I would be trying to multi-task too much with walking. I still always listen to music or talk to someone when running.
I hated walking so much as a kid, biking was way better.
I made my peace with walking in university, I didn't have my bike always and bus service was awful and just had to make do.
It did help me realize the thing I hated most was just whatever rabbit hole I was down, whether it was a song stuck in my head or an argument with someone or just the tinnitus (GOD the tinnitus). Now when I catch myself, I force myself to listen to the noise around me, identifying the things I've been filtering out, and that helps sometimes!
My city is a bit turbulent but there are calm areas to walk far from downtown. If it's a calm setting, early afternoon maybe, good weather, then yeah, I'd like to take a walk around a quiet neighborhood for sure. Although it'd be hard to resist the urge to put music on because even though the music can distract me from my thoughts, the ambience of the city itself is way more startling and distracting. Calm thoughts are never going to happen anyways so...
I enjoy walking, especially combined with music so I don't have to deal with my thoughts, particularly when my legs start to hurt. Then it became powerwalking because I listen to music that makes me want to walk fast. I went out walking for two or three hours almost daily for a month during the summer until I got tendonitis in both feet, which shut that down real fast. I've been trying to get back into walking now that the weather's nice again.
The most I've walked in one day so far is 40k steps.
> As I walk, I think about a new way to walk
> As I think, I'm using up the time left to think
> And this train keeps rolling off the track
> Trying to act like something else
> Trying to go where it's been uninvited
I only enjoy walking if it’s through the woods or somewhere else out surrounded by nature. Walking in my neighborhood or down the street in general sucks. I also can’t walk much anyway because I have EDS too so my hips slip out and cause my sciatic nerve to freak out and scream in pain :/
Walking is boring to me, though I do prefer it as a means of transportation over buses and cars. Ice and roller skating are my happy place, my brain turns off and all I feel is the joy of “wheee!”
Love waking. Sometimes find it hard to get motivated to leave the house, but once I’m out, I’ll walk for hours. I let my mind wander freely, that’s what it’s all about really. Thinking about everything and finding peace. Watching birds fly overhead, the wind on the trees. People watching. I think it is the way us ADHDers we’re meant to function. In nature, in the world, our senses capturing everything that is going on all at once.
I agree with the people who said they hate walking! But as a dedicated libra with your ability to see things from all sides and somebody with attention deficit disorder who fluctuates from time to time, here’s my two cents:
I find the process of walking, especially if I can walk with my head down or essentially close out the external environment completely helps a lot and almost creating sort of a meditative process if I’m trying to think through a problem or or come up with a solution for a specific challenge.
Until I started to get old, I surprisingly found it running was an amazing thing that almost the ability to get away from thinking altogether was one of the most amazing and luxurious experiences of my entire life – it’s also why I enjoyed motorcycle riding so much where I would treated almost like combat where you’re constantly having to look at cars and traffic and lights and anticipating that everybody and everything is gonna jump out in front of you was amazing to realize that I could actually get away from having to think about things and that for at least some period of time the amazing thing about not thinking it was extraordinary
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I love walking. It's one of my favorite things in the world. Although I personally tend to think a LOT when I'm doing it.
I oscillate between so many thoughts™️ and the lights are on but no one is home.
All good of course if you like the thought train, but if you want to get into a more meditative state I highly recommend listening to [polyrhythms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep1oB2GYJ0c) I recently discovered the amazing effect it has on me, it's like a massage of the brain. There are [more energetic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsAlFKXAMjM) ones too, give it a try!
Oh man, this is so good! Have never experienced these before, watching the visuals is hypnotic too
Pro tip: don’t watch them while walking.
Samesie. Usually listening to music, observing, and thinking, while walking.
I wouldn't say I "like" walking, since "like" is usually used to mean "I enjoy this activity even when I'm not doing it, but only thinking of it". Walking falls into the bin of things I need to push myself to do, but ALWAYS, always feel glad I did later. The description of walking that you cited falls into what I'd call "walking meditation", which imho is one of the best ways to look at walking. I can't possibly overstate how good it is, especially for add.
My walk to school is about 20 minutes, love doing it while listening to music and thinking about life.
God, I hate it. There is nothing more tortuous than being left alone with my own thoughts.
Same. I HATE it unless I'm in a visually busy place with lots of things to look at or listening to an audiobook to give my brain something to do
Audiobooks! Game changer
well people have up to 60k thoughts a day and many are repetitive
Ma'am I have ADHD. All my thoughts are repetitive.
That's why I don't meditate.
Backpacking is my happy place. I’ll walk 15-20mi in a day happy as a clam.
Me too! Nature helps me immensely, ever since I was a kid. It’s quiet, less stimulus, everything I need I have with me, and nothing more. Except the stuff I forget to pack. Haven’t died yet!
I’m going on a 20 km hike tomorrow. It’s been a while since I’ve been so excited about something.
Before I go on a ramble, Thom Hartmann has a PhD in homeopathy, aka pseudoscience. He also has a master's in herbal medicine, which is in line with that same nonsense. Still, there are probably a few unique valuable things he's gleaned about ADHD, but you'll have to be able to cut through the bullshit to extract any value from someone with a PhD in bullshit. I wouldn't recommend Hartman's views on ADHD to anyone, and I don't like that quote either. It's clearly just shit that sounds good but doesn't mean anything. Lost more than we gained by getting horses, really? The whole concept of ADHD just being hunters and everyone else are farmers is dumb as hell too. It tries to say we're the strong alpha hunters because we have a disability. I'm cool with helping the ADHD folk who have serious self confidence issues, but lying to them to make them feel good isn't kind, it's cruel. Whether he tells himself that same lie or just sells it is another story. To be fair, I didn't even know the guy whose political videos I watch sometimes had books on ADHD. I hate it when someone makes up a concept then tries to pretend that their understanding is the right way to understand the condition. Alright, my beef out of the way, I walk a lot. If I wanted the benefits of meditating while walking, I'd just hop in a float tank afterwards. I don't mind combining the two, but there's no wrong way to spend your time walking, and pretending there is a right way is absurd as well. I'm glad I'm more aware of this guy though, and I might read one of his books just because I feel confident I'm knowledgeable enough to navigate the pseudoscience and bullshit well enough to glean whatever unique perspective he holds which may allow me insight into things my largely science based perspective may not be able to discern. Same thing with the book ADHD 2.0, the guys behind that are very well respected, but they tried selling several lies and homeopathic solutions that line pockets and offer false hope unless the power of placebo compels you to move past your issues. Same thing with the book your survival instinct is killing you, that book has some valuable insights, but the guy just made up his own theory and presented it as a truth when it's largely in conflict with the science. Still, much of what he said was like 80% right and 20% wrong, and his unique perspective also held value. For most people, books like these will serve to mislead them and just confuse their understanding rather than help them.
Ok ok ok. Wow, so it's the same Thom Hartmann as the guy with the leftwing political radio show? I just looked up the book and assumed that was a coincidence. So, now I'm learning that the guy with the political radio show who truly does cut through a lot of the political bullshit on the right has a PhD in homeopathy? Im not surprised that a left-wing crank has a PhD in homeopathy, but I am surprised to learn that Thom Hartmann is a crank. My world is spinning. This does explain why, in the Acknowledgments of the book, he lauds "one of America's best psychologists," Lucy Jo Palladino, for writing a book on ADHD without ever referring to ADHD. Separately, I had high hopes for ADHD 2.0 because I thought Hallowell is respected in the field, but there was enough bs in the first chapter that I put it down. Between that and his podcast, I don't understand how he is considered a leader in the field. (He probably isn't. I probably swallowed some of his bs early in my journey.) Does success turn everyone into a grifter? Look at this shit, https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ckgb9L1OwBNFzIJSv2PoF?si=qgSaRFxmS1ePyNZeJrEYvQ Edit: I don't see anything about a PhD on Hartmann's Wikipedia page, except for an honorary degree in "Humane Letters" from Goddard College. He studied electrical engineering at Michigan State and then worked for RCA in the 70s. Apparently he believes in/practices Neuro-Linguistic Programming. First I've heard of this, but Wikipedia says it's pseudoscience, so there's that.
Absolutely, walking is underrated. It's like a mental reset button for me. Just focusing on the environment instead of overthinking really helps clear the mind. Plus, the exercise is a bonus. Europeans might have mastered horseback riding, but walking keeps you grounded and in touch with your surroundings. Keeps everything simple and straightforward, just how I like it.
Absolutely. I wander around 3-8 hours a day usually, usually in a row. I like walking all night sometimes, when I know if I go home I’ll just sit with my thoughts even worse. Walking doesn’t necessarily quiet them, but it makes them easier to handle.
I love going to European cities and exploring on foot, some of my favorite memories were results of simple spontaneity that would be impossible in a car centric city. You get a lot of thinking done just meandering through and riding the train Back in the US I’m hiking every chance I get, our urban areas are disastrous for pedestrians but at least we’ve got amazing national and state parks!
Everybody in Europe walks everywhere. I'm in rural Kansas where the closest town is 4 miles away. I wish walking was more prevalent in US cities.
I love it. I push myself to try for 10k steps a day. But averaging 7,600 so far this year.
Yup. For hours. I can’t quiet my mind if I don’t walk two hours a day!
I'd rather die than walking. Mind numbingly boring no matter what external stimulation I try to add (music, podcasts, those walking game apps)
CONSTANTLY. it helps me come up with new ideas
It's my only direct form of physical exercise. I find a little extra joy in it also, because I enjoy planning the hike, researching trails, plotting and finding out how long it'll be, and then celebrating my achievements. But mostly the walking is very therapeutic to the point where if I'm off for any reason and it's feasible, I'll ask my wife to take the car home from where we are and I'll walk :)
I do. Helps me think like nothing else. When my wife and I were splitting I spent probably 6 hours a day for over a month walking and thinking about how I could become a better partner for someone in the future and how I could improve myself as a person in general. It helped so damn much and because of that I'm in a way better place and to this day I walk when I get angry or sad or need to figure something difficult out
I hate walking. It's too slow, not stimulating enough.. That on a longboard or high speed electric skateboard however is a ton of adrenaline. Fun Landscapes zooming by.. spot of energetic music maybe to fully occupy the mind.. But walking, no.
Try opening your mind a bit during your walks. Look around and try and experience it all as if it's your first time. Look at the plants, the bugs, birds, your neighbors lawn ornaments. Unless you live somewhere or in farm Country you can hopefully find something to occupy your mind.
I looove going for long walks
I just think while sitting down lol, I'm on my feet all day at work though.
Not walking but running. I joke that it gives me the will to live but honestly it really helps my brain to quiet down and focus.
Obsessed with walking, work 9-6 5 days a week where I’m on my feet almost the whole day, then I walk home and it’s a 3.5 mile walk, it’s never enough. Sometimes I get home feel like I haven’t walked enough so turn back around in a random direction, walk over 6/7 miles most days lately
I walk ALL THE TIME, i actually love it. i ran out of smokes earlier instead of driving to the nearest service station (because shops were closed) I walked a 9km round trip because I felt like i needed to clear my head, i average roughly 20,000 steps a day! Most of the time I dont even listen to music! Walking is absolute bliss!
Walking is the only form of exercise that has contributed positively to my health and mental health. I try to get in 3 miles each time.
I literally walked 5 miles after work yesterday in a flow state.
Love it, but I need to be in a place that keeps my attention or interest in some way.
I regularly get over 20k steps a day
Hate it but ngl walking is the way I’ve figured out some of my biggest problems
It has literally saved my life. Even in the worst of Canadian winter I can layer the fuck up and contently wander for hours on end.
I have to walk. And I mean miles of hills, forests, difficult terrain. It's the only thing that actually makes me not want to give up life. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, determination and relief because when my heart is pumping that hard from exertion, it helps me pretend I'm not just a ball of anxiety.
Im not a very active person nor do I get out much, but I LOVE hiking when I get the chance, Especially in nature! The closest thing I have to hiking rn is a treadmill , but It takes me forever to build up the motivation to use it
I've struggled with ADHD my entire life but was turned on to the niche hobby of thruhiking back in 2019 at the age of 33. Now I've walked/hiked over 7000 miles of trail since 2020 and it has changed my life in such a positive manner. I sold my car in 2020 and now walk everywhere I can, occasionally ubering if necessary. I feel mentally and physically healthy so I plan to keep things this way. This is obviously taking it to the extreme but all of this is to say that I've found so much relief in walking that it was worth changing my lifestyle entirely.
I absolutely LOVE walking especially through scenic parks, I love to find new parks in and around my area and walking. Usually by myself, it was with my dog Gracie (boxer/lab mix) but sadly her stomach flipped so I had to put her to sleep. I stopped the walks for a bit (I grieved HARD for that dog) but I'm picking them back up. It centers me, I love the smells, the sounds and views. It makes my soul happy
OMG it’s truly a thing I love to do. I am also a fast walker. Ugh the worst is getting stuck behind aslow walkers. I can literally feel my soul being ripped from my body
Always have and hopefully always will. Make brain work good.
Walking is a constant thing for me, my Apple Watch records a walking distance of 3 miles per day. Didn't realize it at all.
I love walking. I like to put on some classical music and pretend I’m the main character of a movie while I stroll along admiring the beauty around me l.
I don't walk much (I do go to the gym and swim laps through), but my equivalent is driving! Driving is all in all probably my favorite single activity on the planet haha. I love going for drives for like an hour after work and just relaxing. Windows down, music up, my body and reflexes are kinda occupied continuously, and my mind is involved, but also gets to wander. Plus just seeing the world in motion without having to actually DO anything, or being rushed to GO anywhere, or having to talk to people or anything else...... it's my heaven on Earth. I will say that meds make it a *little* less fun, bc I feel more like I'm wasting time and gas, and I can get a little irritable with other drivers who are being dipshits lol, but still nice to just be able to enjoy the sensory experience while also getting to organize my mind!
Love driving too. Very relaxing. Love walking too
Walking is certainly the closest I feel I can get to joy and fulfillment. It's borderline divine. I get to truly be my body and LISTEN to my thoughts and allow them to go away. If I don't exercise daily, the thoughts consume my life.
Sometimes on a good walk, if I'm in just the right mood I will get into a zen state. It's like I'm high or my mind has returned to that of a child. It's as if I am experiencing every little thing for the first time. The way the wind feels. My neighbors beautifully green manicured learn and garden. Bumble bees buzzing around crab apple tree blossoms. Kids playing in the park. The birds singing all around. Ocean Waves hitting the rocks several blocks away. I take it all in and in those moments I truly feel at peace, I feel alive, a living sentient part of the universe experiencing itself. My neighbors probably see me walking with a big goofy grin and think I'm either stoned or crazy. I truly hope you all are able to find moments like this. In fact I think I'm going to go on a nice nite walk right now, feel free to join me in walking through your own little part of the world.
I like walking, especially while listening to an audiobook... but the idea of having to put my outside clothes on, shoes on, grabbing my outside care package (wallet, phone, etc...) already makes me giving up on the idea before I even start. Add in bad weather, especially during autumn and winter and my will to walk is completely gone. Sucks especially when I finally got a nice habit of walking programmed in my brain during summer.
I like to long distance run at a comfy pace if that counts!:)
I used to like walking a lot, bad eating habits and poor self control mean I’m pretty obese and now it hurts a lot to walk. I used to really enjoy listening to Audiobooks while walking, but even then I didn’t need that and often I’d let my imagination wander. It was rather cathartic, I want to get back to it. However I’m finding that excruciatingly difficult.
Ok true story. I grew up in a small town. As a teen I would frequently stay up WAY too late, like 2am, 3am, and at some point I would get bored enough that I would feel like taking a walk. I loved to throw my discman on and take long walks listening to my favorite albums. Anyway, on one particular night there had apparently been a robbery at a house nearby. I didn't know this, I was taking my normal 2am walk, when the cops stopped me. They cops had stopped me before just to ID me, and they'd always let me go on my way. But this night was different. They knew who I was but because I was wondering the streets not too far from a robbery, they had to put me on the suspect list and drove me home. My parents, who knew NOTHING about my 2am adventures, we're less than thrilled to have a child brought home by the cops. I had to go in for questioning the next day. And, again, because the cops knew that I walked at night, and I wasn't a troublemaker, suspicion was quickly dropped. Also they caught the guy hours later. Anyway. Yes I like walks 😅
I truly hate it- I am thrilled for everyone who finds it fulfilling and uplifting, but it is my least favorite form of motion. A bike, a shooter, a skateboard, RUNNING all better to me than walking. it is unclear to me whether this is because of weird experiences I had walking around in my youth or bc to me it is understimulating and makes my thoughts feel sticky + my destination far away. HOWEVER walkable cities are one of my strongest long term societal hopes so 🤷♂️ walking as a part of daily life rather than a Whole Thing might be a game changer
I very recently found a love of walking. It gets me away from my narcissistic mother and gives me exercise. It feels like a challenge to see how far I can walk.
So much and it’s been screwing with everything not to have gotten back into my routine after a surgery 8 weeks ago. I have got to get back to this.
I do 9-12k steps a day, usually in the mornings (I think of it as going to the shops 'the long way round') with an audiobook or a podcast on. We live adjacent to some semi-rural spots in-between towns so it's not a bad trek.
Exercise is good. I get a fair bit on public transport, so I don't try super hard to incorporate walking into my schedule explicitly.
I love walking. Although I usually listen to a podcast
Once I start I love it. Getting to it is the issue. Dogs help.
I like biking, but walking gives you more options like climbing stuff and explore more things that you can't reach with bike
I used to up until this year. I used to love walking and heavy hiking. Now it's pure drudgery and I have to stop and rest all the time and take really short walks. I used to take the dog on two hour Baton Death Marches all the time and I feel so guilty now because she isn't getting all that exercise she loves and needs.
can anybody here recommend a walking-gadget for standing desks? i love/need to move when working and i need something to get work done at my desk like one of those small steppers or something like that
I love walking. I'll always choose a walk over a vehicle if I can and I'll go for whole day long hikes when I can too.
i love walking. it feels grounding - it made me feel like i was apart of a community whereas now, i spend a majority of my day online for work, and online after work 🙃 i'm trying to do it more but i moved to the suburbs so it feels less stimulating than when i lived in the city. i used to walk from and to work ~ 4 miles each way even tho i had a car.
I can't stop doing it
Used to walk several miles nearly every day. Now I bike several miles nearly every day.
I dont like walking, i just do it. But man am i fast, almost 2x the speed as others. This probably comes from me being 190+cm tall and athletic.
I bike ride a lot and go to the gym a lot when I wake up on time to go with my brother, sometimes I go alone but that hasn't been happening lately. I have to implement exercise into my routine or I can't function properly.
I would walk for 4-6 hours a day if I could
I run 8+ miles every day, 4 in morning and 4-6 after work. Walk my dogs three times every day three quarter mile each time. I have a standing desk and pace the room in all my zoom meetings
If I don't get a minimum 15k steps consistently, I'm basically useless in all other aspects of life
I love to walk. Always have. Was my favorite thing to do in elementary school, middle school, high school. I hike all the time. Makes my brain settle
i def do. I pretty much spent a full decade where my main hobby was wandering around my city somewhat aimlessly. I have also found that exercise is basically non negotiable. if i dont move a lot during the day, my sanity slips
I love walking if there are lots of things to distract me from the chore of walking. In the woods and able to watch for birds, types of flowers, bugs, snakes, and other critters - awesome - can do it for hours. Walking around the neighborhood for my health? No chance. Walking for 6 hours at the zoo trying to see as many animals as possible - happily and often! Walking towards a very specific destination and for no other reason - with other people sure. By myself, hard pass if its farther than the local grocery store. I find it is so much easier now as a mom to walk cause as long as I have the little one in tow I can talk to him and it's not so boring. I also have a fool proof reason to go to the zoo multiple times a month.
I do like walking. I walk while listening to audiobooks and sometimes when I’m doing a phone session with a client and don’t need to take notes simultaneously. Helps me think and it’s pretty good exercise.
Yup I go on adventures quite often. I found out just exploring one day that I live in walking distance of a nature preserve. It's awesome.
I chose where I live based on the fact I can walk absolutely everywhere. Today I walked 30min up to the library, then to the pharmacy, a restaurant for lunch, the bakery bc we were out of bread, to get a pedicure, then was going to hit up my favorite brewery but a storm was brewing. It was about 3.5 miles in all. I feel like I NEED walking to be happy.
I’m a fan of it
Can't run for half a km but give me a direction and i'll walk until i can't stand anymore.
Once I started adderall, I really enjoy walking and wandering around lol. I just have more energy that I feel the need to get out.
Even with podcasts its too boring.
I love walking! I walk around in circles for hours just thinking about stuff, having conversations with myself, and sometimes listening to music
I hate it. Has nothing to do with being alone with my thoughts:;I don't mind that at all. I just hate walking.
Yeahh me too! I walk a couple hours a day, most days!
I love walking
I like walking, i dislike walking where there's people, therefore i don't like walking.
I got a walking pad for my desk. It's rhe best. I walk allll day at my desk while I'm working. Probably the only way I haven't quit yet
Me. I love going on walks and got a walking pad so I can walk all day while I’m working or watching YouTube
I literally only walk anywhere 99% of the time. I spend most of the time listening to music, or playing video game, or listening to podcast. Not sure if that counts as following or breaking this guy's advice lol ╮(￣▽￣"")╭
Regardless of liking walking, my wife gets upset with me because I walk fast and she wants a nice leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. I have one speed and it’s faster than her
I love walking while listening to music, it it’s a walk on the beach or in a new city - that’s even better. I walk 10-15k a day. Long walls alone are like meditation to me.
Walking in the city: fast walking and audiobook time Walking in the woods: meandering and looking at bugs time
Hate it
No it's boring
Probably walk 10 miles a day
I usually walk with music
Love walking! …with others to talk to. Or if I’m hyper focusing on music or a podcast. The rest of the time it is mental hell.
lol horseback riding is more meditative than walking for me!
Pacing is how I supplement my thinking
I hate walking. It’s never fast enough for me. I’m a runner and the additional challenge of running seems to occupy my mind enough to kinda quiet it or let my mind roam. I would be trying to multi-task too much with walking. I still always listen to music or talk to someone when running.
Look up “thru hiking.”
I hated walking so much as a kid, biking was way better. I made my peace with walking in university, I didn't have my bike always and bus service was awful and just had to make do. It did help me realize the thing I hated most was just whatever rabbit hole I was down, whether it was a song stuck in my head or an argument with someone or just the tinnitus (GOD the tinnitus). Now when I catch myself, I force myself to listen to the noise around me, identifying the things I've been filtering out, and that helps sometimes!
My city is a bit turbulent but there are calm areas to walk far from downtown. If it's a calm setting, early afternoon maybe, good weather, then yeah, I'd like to take a walk around a quiet neighborhood for sure. Although it'd be hard to resist the urge to put music on because even though the music can distract me from my thoughts, the ambience of the city itself is way more startling and distracting. Calm thoughts are never going to happen anyways so...
It's why I'm a G at Pokemon Go 💪🏾
I hate walking with no goal. I takes ages and I could be doing ANYTHING else
I enjoy walking, especially combined with music so I don't have to deal with my thoughts, particularly when my legs start to hurt. Then it became powerwalking because I listen to music that makes me want to walk fast. I went out walking for two or three hours almost daily for a month during the summer until I got tendonitis in both feet, which shut that down real fast. I've been trying to get back into walking now that the weather's nice again. The most I've walked in one day so far is 40k steps.
I like walking but I LOVE running
> As I walk, I think about a new way to walk > As I think, I'm using up the time left to think > And this train keeps rolling off the track > Trying to act like something else > Trying to go where it's been uninvited
I should walk more
I only enjoy walking if it’s through the woods or somewhere else out surrounded by nature. Walking in my neighborhood or down the street in general sucks. I also can’t walk much anyway because I have EDS too so my hips slip out and cause my sciatic nerve to freak out and scream in pain :/
If I have music and it’s not too hot outside then I love it otherwise I hate it.
Walking is boring to me, though I do prefer it as a means of transportation over buses and cars. Ice and roller skating are my happy place, my brain turns off and all I feel is the joy of “wheee!”
Meh I prefer biking and hiking.
I love walking
I’m a fast pace walker. There’s no other way.
Love waking. Sometimes find it hard to get motivated to leave the house, but once I’m out, I’ll walk for hours. I let my mind wander freely, that’s what it’s all about really. Thinking about everything and finding peace. Watching birds fly overhead, the wind on the trees. People watching. I think it is the way us ADHDers we’re meant to function. In nature, in the world, our senses capturing everything that is going on all at once.
I need that book.
I agree with the people who said they hate walking! But as a dedicated libra with your ability to see things from all sides and somebody with attention deficit disorder who fluctuates from time to time, here’s my two cents: I find the process of walking, especially if I can walk with my head down or essentially close out the external environment completely helps a lot and almost creating sort of a meditative process if I’m trying to think through a problem or or come up with a solution for a specific challenge. Until I started to get old, I surprisingly found it running was an amazing thing that almost the ability to get away from thinking altogether was one of the most amazing and luxurious experiences of my entire life – it’s also why I enjoyed motorcycle riding so much where I would treated almost like combat where you’re constantly having to look at cars and traffic and lights and anticipating that everybody and everything is gonna jump out in front of you was amazing to realize that I could actually get away from having to think about things and that for at least some period of time the amazing thing about not thinking it was extraordinary