How Landscape Lighting for Walkways Encourages Homeowners to Enjoy the Outdoors

 How Landscape Lighting Can Help Homeowners Harness the Benefits of Walking and Exercise

Marietta, United States - February 7, 2022 /Southern Landscape Lighting Systems - Marietta/

LEDlow-voltage landscape lighting makes life at home beautiful and better. One of the ways this efficient, affordable, and sustainable technology improves the quality of life is by illuminating walkways, pathways, and walking trails around the home. Landscape lighting enables the homeowner to glean the benefits of a pre-dawn power walk or enjoy a leisurely stroll around the yard after a hard day at work.

 

The Benefits of a Stroll Around the Yard

For over two millennia, philosophers from Aristotle and Socrates to Henry David Thoreau have recognized the relationship between thinking and walking. The peripatetic philosophers of ancient Greece would walk around as they taught their students. In her article, “Five Philosophers on the Joys of Walking,” Emily Turner writes, “The act of putting one foot in front of another creates rhythm, movement, and can elevate the spirit.”

Walking improves mental health. According to the experts at Walking for Health, “It improves self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleeps quality, and it reduces stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Physically active people have up to a thirty percent reduced risk of becoming depressed and staying active helps those who are depressed recover. In older people, staying active can improve cognitive function, memory, attention, and processing speed, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.”

The health specialists atBetter Health highlight the important health benefits of a thirty-minute stroll around the yard or neighborhood. “Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. Just thirty minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers. Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training.”

A walk can enhance creativity, clear the mind, give a fresh perspective, reduce stress, and improve the decision-making process. For the remote worker or the business owner who works from home, a backyard walking path can increase productivity, reduce errors, improve personal interactions with customers, and grow the business.

Design Ideas for a Great Walkway or Walking Path

1. Stamped concrete

The design possibilities of stamped concrete are limitless! Texture, color, and pattern can flawlessly mimic myriad types of stone and other paving material. For a unique flair that traditional floated concrete cannot match, choose stamped concrete. The sky is the limit.

2. Brick

For a classic look, choose a brick walkway. The popular product can be laid in many visually interesting patterns: herringbone, stacked bond, running bond, and basket-weave. Brick pavers offer a classic traditional look but are more expensive to install than the typical brick walkway.

3. Bluestone

The traditional bluestone path is impervious to fads and short-lived trends. The timeless appearance and broad appeal will always be in style. Contrary to its name, bluestone comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and not all bluestone is blue.

4. Mosaic pebbles

A walkway composed of mosaic pebbles is a unique work of art installed by skilled artisans. Varied sizes, shapes, textures, and colors combine for jaw-dropping beauty. An experienced landscape lighting designer can bring out the exquisite intricacies of the layout and pebble selection.

5. Stepstone walkway

A step-stone pathway makes for a great weekend DIY. Affordable, quick, and low impact, this project can provide the experience of hiking in the mountains or along with one of the many rivers in the Atlanta area.

6. Granite gravel

Versatile, affordable, and available in a variety of shades and sizes, granite gravel provides a stable base that can accommodate step stones of different shapes, sizes, and colors.

7. Bark mulch

Affordability and ease of application make bark mulch a great choice for a longer footpath. The soft material is comfortable to walk on.

Why Effective Path Lighting Is Important

The illumination of walkways and paths around a property boost curb appeal and highlight the locations of special landscape features, hardscapes, and entrances. Ease of use and safety are the prime reasons for installing landscape lighting on a walkway or footpath. During the shortened days of winter,LED landscape lighting makes a footpath or walking trail accessible for the pre-dawn or post-dusk stroll. The design and installation team at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta, GA, can provide a system that discreetly and effectively lights the way without disturbing the neighbors with unwanted light pollution.

To learn more about LEDlandscape lighting installation and service, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta by email at lindsey@southernlls.com. Staff can also be reached by phone at (678) 616-9166.