Today’s Back Back Story, courtesy of The New York Times encourages us to get out and walk more.
“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”

That quotation by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was included in a Stanford University study in 2014 that showed how walking can fuel creative thought.

It’s no mystery that walking enhances health. But researchers have found that it also improves the flow of oxygen to the brain, helping with mental awareness and memory.

Today is National Walking Day, and many cities are participating. The annual event was introduced by the American Heart Association about 10 years ago because people, it says, spend too much time sitting in front of screens at work and home.

Regularly placing one foot in front of the other, ideally briskly, for at least 30 minutes a day can offset that inactivity and reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and stroke. And more good news: Researchers have found that walkers are most likely burning more calories than they think.

There is a lot of advice out there about the types of shoes to buy, how to stretch and the pros and cons of activity trackers.

But no philosophizing is needed to figure out the first step: Get off your behind.

I’m now off for a brisk walk.