National Walking Day — 1 April

Walking has always been a part of being human. Many archaeologists have found that even when humans were nomadic tribes, we would often walk great distances to stalk our prey (think Wooly Mammoths) and wait for them to sleep before pouncing. Walking is, essentially, what humans are physically we best at. We’re the slowest runners, the worst swimmers, and we can’t even fly without a big jet engine. Walking is the humans bread and butter.

Maybe that’s why during the Victorian era there was a little fad called pedestrianism, where walking became one of the major spectator sports in America and Europe until baseball usurped it. But individuals would wager massive bets over whether walkers could make it marathon distances and under what time. There’s a reason why racewalking is an Olympic sport, after all.

Whether it’s John Muir’s spiritual journeys through the woods; pilgrimages to Mecca; or just a casual stroll through your local park, walking has always held a close, dear place in the hearts of humans. It’s no wonder that there are so many health benefits associated with it and also why National Move More Month and National Walking Day were created promote this fantastic and surprisingly easy pastime.