Taking a Walk: The Cheapest Health Craze Since Breathing.      Dedicated Font of Noelage readers will recall my poor opinion of Jogging which I blogged about in avery early story posted  in  Octoberr 2012. (  Confessions of a Jogger ). Today, however, I want to take a much more positive view of wa                                                                                                                   Just what is Wellness? Well, according to the Global Wellness Institute in Miami, Florida, whose objective is to promote wellness worldwide, it includes regular exercise, good sleep habits, healthy eating, stress management, mental health, emotional stability and acquiring good habits that help avoid illness instead of seeking remedies after illness has struck.                                                                          However, if you believe the profitable wellness industries that flourish in our western society, wellness requires a fridge full of suspicious green liquids, an expensive watch that torments you, very costly exercise machines, a pricy mountain bike, a huge subscription to a local health and gymnasium centre plus an exotic mat made from something described as “naturally karmic healing organic bamboo."                                                                                                                                                                           Despite all of these manufactured necessities there is good old walking. Hiding in plain sight, like a modest genius at a committee meeting, walking is free, portable, and will not ask for your credit card details. Walking has everything: many health benefits, fresh air, mild self-improvement. It welcomes everyone, the fitness enthusiast, the reluctant office worker, the person who owns activewear mainly for emergencies, and the adventurous, who say, “I’m just going for a ten minute walk around the block,” then return forty minutes later with rosy cheeks and a relaxed frame of mind.                                            Walking, mercifully, is kinder than a personal trainer at 5.30am on a wintry morning. Regular brisk walking can help support heart health, improve fitness, manage weight, reduce blood sugar levels, strengthen bones and muscles, lift energy levels and reduce the risk of several long-term harmful health conditions.                                                                                                                                                      Then there is the mental side, which is where walking becomes better than a Valium tablet. A decent stroll eases stress, brightens mood, sharpens thinking, and helps sleep arrive without needing to roll over and over and over through a very long night.                                                                                        For older adults, regular walking may also support balance, mobility and confidence, turning ordinary errands into small acts of independence. The stairs become less arduous. The supermarket car park becomes less like an overland expedition. Even the trip to the letterbox can regain its dignity.                  Best of all, walking has no grand entrance requirements or nomination fees. Start small. Wander further when you can. Take a friend, a dog, a podcast, or simply your own thoughts, provided they promise not  to hold an angsty staff meeting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In a world forever selling us complicated ways to feel better, the humble walk remains a lifestyle dream. It is inexpensive, effective, endlessly available, and best taken daily with a side serving of fresh air and boundless curiosity about the wonderful neighbourhood we are living in. You can smell  your neighbour's  roses without having to prune them.                                                                                        A word of warning. I started walking many years ago. I would wear headphones and listen to talkback radio as I walked. Talk back radio is often populated  with very deranged, angry and dissatisfied people who  speak aggressively. As I walked, I found many talk back comments totally diabolical and disagreeable. I would return from my walk full of anger, anxiety and rising blood pressure.                                                                                                                                                        Thankfully, I now stream the Spotify music app  straight from my iPhone to my hearing aids. I no longer listen to angry people complaining  about everything. Now, I walk happily along with Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms. I arrive home filled with harmony, happiness  and joy to the World.                                                                                                                    Well, that is until I read the West Coast Eagles’ footy results!