walk YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS
Five months ago, shortly after my birthday and just having listened to a particularly inspiring Mel Robbins podcast about keeping promises to yourself, I decided I wanted to commit to a healthy habit I would do every day for 365 consecutive days. The truth is there are many things I mean to do everyday like taking my supplements, meditating or drinking 8 glasses of water, but even when you’re health focused there are reasons things don’t happen EVERY day. But what happens if you really commit?! For this personal experiment I decided I was going to do everything in my power to keep my word to myself. One of the best ways to form a healthy daily habit is to make it attractive and easy. So rather than set my sights on anything too lofty, I decided to keep it simple and chose walking for my 365 day commitment. I made only one rule for my challenge: I would go for a walk every day. It wouldn’t matter how fast I walked or how far I walked or if I walked outside or inside, just that I did it every single day.
Today is day 162 of my walking streak. Almost halfway to my goal of 365 days in a row. Having been at it for over five months I can say it is now truly a habit. Most days I wake up and get right to it. I lay out my walking clothes the night before so when I wake up, I have a glass of water, lace up my sneakers and walk out the door before I’m even fully awake. I love this time of morning. It’s quiet, the sun is coming up, it’s not too hot (I live in Florida) and I find it’s a great time to organize my thoughts and prepare for my day. I have a few different routes I take and depending on which one I choose my walk is usually 2-3 miles which takes about 30-40 minutes. I enjoy walking the same roads each day and seeing how the neighborhood changes from one day to the next and how the sunlight moves from month to month. I enjoy cheerful greetings from the other early-risers out for their walk and I especially enjoy the four-legged friends who wag at me while they sniff around for the perfect spot for their morning pee.
Although this is my typical routine, over the course of five months things come up like travel or sickness or weather. So I’ve learned to be flexible to keep the streak alive! Travel is easy. It’s fun to walk the neighborhood in new places and see new sights. I’ve had some occasions on road trips where our hotel was right off the highway, in which case I’ve used the treadmill in the hotel gym. Once when there was no gym, I walked a big loop in the hotel parking lot a dozen times. Weather can be a little more challenging. I’ve walked in the rain (it’s actually kind of fun), I’ve walked when the “feels-like” is 115 degrees (not so fun) and I’ve waited out lightning storms and tropical storm force winds. On days when I’ve been under the weather, I walked only a one mile loop but I kept my streak going.
Many of the benefits of walking are well documented. It’s a low impact exercise that improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and bones. It’s great for weight management as it boosts your metabolism and burns calories. It improves digestion and can alleviate symptoms of constipation and bloating. It also has significant mental and emotional benefits. Walking reduces cortisol levels so it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Walking also releases endorphins so it can boost your mood. And did you know, daily walkers often report a creativity boost too? It’s a great way to clear your head and let your thoughts flow. As a result walking can stimulate innovative thinking and help you solve problems or clear mental blocks with a fresh perspective. If you’re looking to cut back on that afternoon cup of joe, try going for a walk instead. It’s a natural energy booster. And if those benefits aren’t enough reason to get walking, sleep experts often recommend regular walking as a way to improve the duration and quality of sleep.
Lastly, as Dr. Mark Hyman often reports in his research on longevity, people who walk daily live longer and healthier lives. Walking is a great way to get to know your neighbors, to connect with your spouse or your children or to connect with nature. If you’re looking for an alternative to catching up with friends over happy hour, try asking a friend to join you for a walk. Walking is great for building social connections and community.
So what’s the verdict after 162 days of walking? I feel really good about keeping this promise to myself. I have no doubt that I will reach my goal of walking 365 days in a row and now firmly believe that I will always walk every day. It’s nice to know on an intellectual level that I am benefitting my overall well being and doing something to promote healthy aging, but these are benefits that are harder to “see” day to day. What’s easier for me to see is that this simple discipline has brought me a sense of accomplishment. I sleep much better since I started walking and have more energy through the day. When I’m feeling anxious or preoccupied, walking helps me sort it out. Some days it’s a power walk and some days it’s a lazy walk but I’ve never gone for a walk and come back feeling worse than I did before I left. For that reason alone, walking has become my go-to for managing stress and the need for a mood or energy boost. Perhaps you’ll consider adding this highly effective form of physical activity to your daily routine and join me for a walk!