Walking, Fast and Slow

The inspiration for today’s blog as you might have guessed comes from Daniel Kanheman and his best selling book Thinking, Fast and Slow.

Many of the ideas from his writings can be transferred over to the world of walking.

The fast walk and high tempo often revolves around impulsivity and automated processes. There is an inbuilt intuition into the way that you have learned to operate through experience over the years. Your reactions are often automated and you can adapt in the flash of an eye to changing circumstances and terrains around you.

The slow walk requires focus and attention. It is the process of breaking down even the most simple of movements or aspects around you. You are hyper focused and therefore receiving crucial feedback about minimal yet important things.

This could be a feeling each and every step in different parts of your foot, it could be playing with the slope or surfaces around you, or maybe the focus on dog body language and behavior that you observe. You are vigilant and taking in masses of information.

The fast walking therefore comes from your learned knowledge, whereas the slow walk is increasing your knowledge base with the aim of improving the fast walk process.

This goes to show that in almost all areas it is important to slow down from time to time to ensure that you are more efficient for when you need to go fast.

Doggies: Lucy, Samus, Ilex and Pippi