Walking in Winter greens

Wherever I go my camera goes too and even when walking I do make pictures; occasionally few pix, usually more than the rare one or two or three... today I made just 10.

And when home I read on internet an interview with nerve researcher Shane O'Mara about his new book "Praise of Walking", what tells about the benefits of walking. Nice to see my experiences confirmed :-)
The following headlines from the interview I copied and here they are:

"On the Shetland Islands doctors already prescribe beach walks as preventative treatment for physical and mental disorders. Getting outdoors four times a week, for a walk of fifteen kilometers,  makes us both physically and mentally healthier.

When we are moving, our brain is moving also. Cognitively we’re mobile; mind wandering that is; we let our minds run and that is exactly why we are able to place memories, thoughts and feelings into a new context. Research with MRI scanners and other technical equipment show that walking increases our cognitive ability enormously. We are more aware of our environment, which increases our sensitivity. We also want to know where we are all the time, that makes us alert.

Walking provides us with endorphins, what creates a feeling of well-being and happiness. That makes us more resistant to depression and old age. "I have done research into depression, old age and the ability to remember in relation to movement. We discovered that one of the most important parts of the brain, the hippocampus, actually becomes a muscle, stronger and more powerful the more we move. Use it or lose it is our famous statement. When your muscles deteriorate, your brain also deteriorates".