How Walking Transformed My Life: A Book Review of Walking by Erling Kagge

If you’ve read my About page, you know that taking walks during the pandemic ultimately led to the creation of The GO Deck. 

I couldn’t fully articulate why walking was so impactful for me during that difficult period, until I read Walking by Norwegian explorer and philosopher Erling Kagge.

In this short but thought-provoking book, Kagge makes a compelling case for how walking—an often-overlooked human activity—doesn’t have to be about distance or fitness. Instead, it can offer presence, freedom, and clarity. Each chapter of the book invites the reader to reconsider how they move through the world.

Below, I’ve summarized how walking—both alone and with others—has transformed my own life.

Walking alone is a path to clarity and thought

Kagge suggests that walking creates space for thinking in a way few other activities do. Without constant input or distraction, the mind is free to wander, make connections, and settle. Many of humanity’s best ideas, he notes, have emerged not from sitting still, but from moving forward—one step at a time.

Before the pandemic, my movement of choice was cycling. While cycling, however, I’m usually on high alert (the exception would be when I'm riding in more remote areas with minimal traffic). And with jogging or running, I rarely think deeply because my internal dialogue sounds more like: Keep going. Just a little more. Don’t stop now. Keep breathing. You can do this!!!

Walking, on the other hand, gives my mind room to breathe.

Looking back, it’s hard not to draw a line between all those pandemic walks and the creative momentum that eventually led to The GO Deck. Once the idea took shape, I spent many walks thinking through the prototype, imagining how it might work, and refining the concept as I moved through the city.

I also talked through those ideas with other people—which brings me to my second point.

You can walk with anyone because walking is accessible

Once strict pandemic restrictions began to lift, I took every opportunity I could to reconnect with friends over a walk. No one ever said it was too expensive or that they didn’t have the right gear. Occasionally someone asked to keep it short or flat—and as I’ve since demonstrated with The GO Deck, there are countless pathways and places that accommodate a wide range of abilities.

After months of isolation, seeing friends again rejuvenated my spirit. And offering a socially distanced walk made it easy for people to say yes.

Walking naturally forced us to be present with one another, focused on the conversation and our surroundings rather than the tiny computers we carry around in our pockets (aka, smartphones).

I often share ideas and life challenges with friends while we walk, and they do the same. We joke that our walks are basically therapy sessions. Many early conversations about what would become The GO Deck happened this way, and that feedback played a meaningful role in bringing the idea to life.

I’ve lost count of the number of times a friend has told me after a walk how simple yet impactful the experience was. Those moments are a big reason I keep pushing forward with this small business and these products. I want to show others how many close-to-home, and often free-to-visit, outdoor spaces exist that make it easy to get out and about—either alone or with others.

Back to the book

Walking reminded me that movement doesn’t have to be fast, optimized, or goal-oriented to be meaningful. Sometimes, the most important thing we can do is slow down, step outside, and let our thoughts and conversations unfold naturally. Whether alone or alongside someone else, walking has a quiet way of creating space—for ideas, connection, and clarity. And for me, that space changed everything.