Rousseau like Friedrich Nietzsche, did most of his intellectual work while walking.
From 16–19 years old, Rousseau walked as a means of transportation because of poverty. This changed when he pursued fame as a Monsieur. After years of disillusionment in this pursuit, he started taking long meditative walks in nature again. These walks turned into a lifestyle. He gave up the pursuit of success. He resigned from his positions. He dressed like a poor man. He only copied music sheets for a living. He became unsociable and undesirable—the Diogenes of the Enlightenment.
Rousseau believes that society and technology corrupts mankind. He wrote about this in his first Discourse, but he wrote that book with the intention to be famous. He left Paris, lived in the woods, and remained alone for a long time. This made his message more credible as he wrote a second Discourse. He talked about the homo viator, walking man, devoid of culture and lives, the first man. He walked to find his true identity.
As Rousseau walked, he felt compassion growing in him. Walking teaches compassion.
As he was nearing death, he continued walking his last walks that inspired his book Reveries. At this time, walking was no longer use to invent (walking is a method for uncovering original thoughts). It simply became a venue for presence (walking is a mindfulness practice).
References
Gros, F. (2014). A Philosophy of Walking. Verso.
When there is really nothing left to do or believe, except to remember, walking helps retrieve the absolute simplicity of presence, beyond all hope, before any expectation.
I was young, and in good health; I had sufficient money and abundant hopes; I travelled on foot and I travelled alone. … When anyone offered me an empty seat in a carriage, or accosted me on the road, I made a wry face when I saw that fortune overthrown, the edifice of which I reared during my walk.