Monthly Archives: September 2025

WALKING AND LITERATURE The Unbearable Smugness of Walking Glorified for its creative benefits, the pastime has become yet another goal-driven pursuit.   LifeSpan, a maker of fitness equipment, claims that a treadmill desk will boost my creativity. The company’s website, where I can … Continue reading →

Face wraps promise a snatched jawline—but do they really work? A centuries-old technique is finding new life in beauty routines thanks to social media influencers. Experts weigh in on what compression can—and can’t—do. A snug compression wrap promises to sculpt … Continue reading →

Childhood is short-lived. It’s okay if kids’ drawings are, too. An Object Lesson. By Mary Townsend Annie Otzen / Getty September 16, 2018 THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE  Children make art constantly. From the earliest age, adults press crayons into their hands. Art … Continue reading →

WALKING BACKWARDS 5 reasons to start walking backward A new (to me, at least) spin on walking: backward walking, also known as retro-walking. Though it’s trending on social media platforms, physical therapists and fitness trainers have been touting its benefits … Continue reading →

Those molecules released by contracting muscles target the brain, and blood flow delivers them. One of those myokines is called irisin, named after Iris, the Greek goddess of rainbows and Hera’s personal messenger. Alarmingly low levels of irisin have been … Continue reading →

Many foot ailments – plantar fasciitis, collapsed arches, bunions, hammer toes, high ankle strains, and all sorts of other maladies – are exacerbated by the very technology that allowed humans to inhabit the globe: shoes. Footwear helped humans spread into … Continue reading →

The way each of us walks is unique and recognizable, whether it’s John Wayne’s slightly off-balance swagger, Dorothy’s skip toward Oz, Mae West’s exaggerated hip swivel, or the lope of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. This observation is more than anecdotal. One … Continue reading →

Wide hips are not a detriment to a woman’s gait. They are adaptive. They also affect how many women walk. Having wider hips causes more rotation, or swivel, when walking. This allows women, who typically have shorter legs than men, … Continue reading →

WHY WALKING HELPS US THINK Moreover, you must walk like a camel, which is said to be the only beast that ruminates when walking. Henry David Thoreau, “Walking” 1861 Charles Darwin was an introvert. Granted, he spent almost five years … Continue reading →

WHY HIKING IS UNIQUELY BENEFICIAL FOR YOUR BODY AND YOUR BRAIN Hiking provides immense cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits, but being in nature while participating in the activity might be the most significant advantage of all. When hiking on challenging terrain, … Continue reading →