Julie Wurth, communications officer
The benefits of a daily walk: continuing a new year’s resolution
It’s the season of resolutions. I could tell you about the many I’ve broken, but that wouldn’t be very motivational, would it? Instead, I’m going to talk about one I kept and why. I started walking every day.
That was 10ish years ago. I had a new dog, and she was all for the idea. Lucy was an every-day, rain-or-shine, sickness-or-health sort of girl, and she got me to thinking maybe I should be, too. I’m glad I did.
Maybe you’ve heard about the many benefits of any sort of regular movement. Walking, something a lot of us are able to do, improves cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress, the folks at Harvard Medical School say. Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is said to have called it “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug.”
I don’t know about that, but I do know a daily walk puts me in a good mood and gives me energy. I know I feel even better when I do it without fail, even on days I’m under the weather, sleep-deprived, or just not in the mood. How to keep it up through all that life brings? These approaches have helped me:
- Do it every day—first thing, if possible. Let’s be honest: This seems like a horrible idea at 6:30 on a dark January morning. But stay with me. Doing whatever you do for exercise in the morning before other responsibilities kick in means it’s done for the day, that nothing else will sideline it, and that you get those good vibes to start your day.
- Get a buddy. You’ve heard before that buddies make exercise more likely to happen, and it’s true. Lucy was a fabulous motivator right up until we lost her to cancer. Fortunately, she trained us well before she left, and my husband and I have continued, pushing each other to get with it on mornings one of us would rather not. If you don’t have or want a human or canine companion, consider an electronic one. Music, podcasts, or books make great walking companions. I’ve been amazed at how far I go when distracted by a good story.
- Look at your outing as the treat it is. Sometimes, walking is the only part of my day when I take time to just be without a lot of input and distraction. I recognize having that space is a gift that gives me an opportunity to care for my well-being, appreciate my surroundings (are those buds beginning to form on the trees?), and lift my mood all at once. Giving myself this time helps everything else make sense.
Is there more to recommend it? Well, of course. It doesn’t cost anything (although shoes can go quickly). You can do it almost anywhere. You can easily adjust time, pace, and terrain as your fitness needs change. And, with a little distancing thrown in, it’s a COVID-friendly way to keep connected to friends.
You can apply the ideas here to any sort of exercise you might decide to try, of course. Walking for fitness is just an easy entry point for most of us, an extension of the movements we already make every day of our lives.
Tip: If you don’t move much now, start a walking program slowly. Find some ideas on approach here, and consider talking with your healthcare provider before you start.