Our Mission: Help 1000 people start a daily habit of walking in nature. Then help 1000 more.
Before starting AMBL, our three founders were searching for a sustainable and tangible way we could positively impact the world around us.
We are all walkers, each of us arriving at the habit independently. Some of us have spent over twenty years ambling, and others are newer.
We decided to spread the simple message about walking that we learned from our personal experiences. Without exception, walking in nature improves the daily joy in our lives, and contributes to our physical and mental wellness to such an extent that our families and professional pursuits are significantly impacted.
We want to encourage everyone we can to incorporate walking in nature into their daily lifestyles, by sharing the most relevant information from both the arts and sciences to help cement the habit. And we hope to take it a step further - we hope to encourage everyone, to encourage other people in their lives, to share the pleasures and benefits of walking.
Most of us realize that we live in societies in the developed world with structural impediments to daily self-care. Many of us lead sedentary lifestyles, use omnipresent screens during both our work and leisure hours, are interrupted by social media with relentless negativity (both real and misinformation), and struggle with too little sleep and constant exhaustion. Our car culture increases our stress, increases our sense of isolation, and with other challenges to our well-being, including our work culture and dietary habits, it is no wonder that as a society, we are struggling with deteriorating health, increasing obesity, and decreasing average lifespan for both men and women.
It is shocking to realize, that the simple act of walking in greenspaces, can ameliorate and overcome, many of these systemic challenges to our wellness.
The truth is, no one needs equipment, special clothing, gym memberships, or anyone's permission to walk daily. It is true that we do wear clothes and shoes, and use gear like jackets or sun-protection, when we take our poles and our dogs on nearly daily walks. It is true that we sell these things on our site, and we want to share with AMBLers certain quality items at reasonable prices, in order to financially support our work towards our mission.
On this page, and via our social media, we will share positive encouragement, facts, and healthy strategies for incorporating daily walks in nature into the lives of as many people, as we are able to reach via our effort, multiplied by your efforts.
Please consider help to spread our message in your community, by following our social media, liking our content (when it is helpful to you), or buying AMBL gear to help support our mission.
Won't you join us?
The AMBL team
Resources
Following are just a couple few items to help you start on your journey of discovering the huge joys and benefits of walking daily:
Prescribing Pleasure and Meaning - Cultivating Walking Motivation and Maintenance
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 47, Issue 6,
The health benefits of walking in greenspaces of high natural and heritage value
December 2009, Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 6(4):261-278
The Next Walk You Take Could Change Your Life
New York Times September 20, 2022
Study after study after study has proved what we feel, intuitively, in our gut: Walking is good for us. Beneficial for our joints and muscles; astute at relieving tension, reducing anxiety and depression; a boon to creativity, likely; slows the aging process, maybe; excellent at prying our screens from our face, definitely.
Walking improves memory
Aerobic Exercise Improves Episodic Memory in Late Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Communications Medicine (First published: February 17, 2022)