Take a hike! The benefits of walking and how to get more steps in this summer

Walking has long been a source of inspiration for Danielle Driscoll’s artwork and creativity.

The artist and surface pattern designer takes daily hour-long walks with her dogs and husband along the coast where she lives – a small town called Scituate Harbor in the US state of Massachusetts, not far from Boston.

“My artwork is completely inspired by where we live,” she tells Euronews Culture. “The flowers, the nature. I feel like I just feel so much creative energy when I walk and when I’m in the setting that we live in.”

Some of her artwork is directly inspired by what she sees on her walks – like a watercolour she made of some life vests on the town pier, which she turned into a greeting card with the phrase “You’re a lifesaver!” on them, or a painting of a lighthouse she made en plein air.

Other times, Driscoll says walking has had a more subtle effect on her creativity, giving her space away from the actual act of creating so she can approach the task with a more level head.

“Everyday I write my to-do list and I’m like, ahh! I have a million things on my list,” she says. “I feel like going for a walk in the morning takes me out of time, really. It’s almost like yoga, where you get more connected to your inner thoughts. It has a calming factor, but I also feel really energised after I go for a walk.”

Anecdotes like Danielle’s – linking walking to creativity – have been backed up by a growing body of research that proves walking is good not only for our bodies, but also for our minds.

Walking makes us happier and more relaxed, it helps us work through problems and it can even make us think more creatively.

With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to test out the benefits for yourself.

Euronews Culture spoke to