• Walking on sinking or uneven terrain is more work, and thus, more exercise. If you don’t believe me, try it. Ask yourself why you keep gravitating back to the smooth path.
• Walking at a tilt strengthens and stretches under-used muscles.You need more and different muscles to walk on uneven ground.
• Toning those other muscles improves balance and reduces the chance of falling. This is not my area of expertise but if you think about it for a minute, it can’t not be true. 

Just think how many muscles atrophy when you stay on flat pavement!

When you are in a hurry to get things done, you want to follow easy, proven methods. You don’t want to waste time and energy wandering through mud and ruts. You don’t want the extra work of discovering new routes and methods each step of the way. The smooth, well-worn mental pathway is where you want to spend a good deal of your time to conserve time and energy.

But staying on flat, paved mental pathways at all times atrophies your brain just as paved sidewalks atrophy leg muscle. If you limit yourself to the same routines, methods, news shows, publications, social and business contacts, topics of discussion, entertainment, and destinations, your brain cruises with ease and gets little exercise. Tackle some thorny issues, try something new, read unfamiliar books and publications, visit an unknown destination, listen to people with diverse viewpoints and experiences, learn a new skill, try to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

In other words, venture into the mud and ruts! If you don’t encounter at least one new and fascinating idea each day, you are spending too much time on smooth, well-worn mental pathways.