Walking on Cobblestones Lowers Blood Pressure

Here’s a health tip that is not, as they say, intuitive: walking on cobblestones can lower your blood pressure.  A SFGate report reminds us that cobblestone walking paths are common in China, where
traditional medicine teaches that the uneven surface of the stones
stimulate "acupoints" on the soles of the feet. The theory is much like
acupuncture, suggesting that distant and unrelated areas of the body
are linked together at certain points. The Chinese exercise piqued the interest of behavioral researchers from the Oregon Research Institute, who studied 108 volunteers for 16 weeks as they walked three times a week on a cobblestone path.  When compared to a control group who walked for the same amount of time on a flat surface, those who walked on cobblestones had signicantly lower blood pressure and improved balance. Read more.  Or buy a walking mat from the Oregon Research Institute.