The Best Way to Get Healthier
Walk everyday. It’s simple. Humans tend to overcomplicate… well, everything. I do it too. However, we do not need to get complicated here. Just walk. Put on some good shoes (no they don’t have to be specific “walking shoes”) and go. Don’t worry about step count, distance, incline, heart rate, or any of that stuff. It has its place, but not here, not now. Your first step is one that will walk you to your shoes and get you out the door. Easier said than done for some of us, I know.
As we juggle work, family, friends, pets, and more it gets busy and overwhelming. You can still set priorities. You can eke out ways to change your lifestyle. Out of all the things you can do to become more healthy, walking daily is about as simple as it gets. Our bodies were made to walk. Bipedal motion is awesome! If you talk to an ultra marathoner (a person who runs hundreds of miles at a time) they may say something like, “It’s just one foot in front of the other.” While running is a lot more than that, it is also exactly that. The first real step is committing to the idea of putting one foot in front of the other. The first step is in your mind! Once you do, figuring out where you’ll go and when is next. Creating a new routine that sticks is easiest if you habit bundle.
Let’s say the goal is to take one walk each day. You may consider what else you do each day that may pair well with a walk. For example, my family and I go on a walk most days after dinner. While we were setting this habit, we would eat dinner and immediately go for a walk to the cul-de-sac. That way we all began to think of dinner and a walk as one block of time and one activity. We bundled! During this early stage we would literally finish eating, leave the dishes (maybe put the leftovers away quickly) and get out the door. Hard line, no dawdling, no tv, no excuses, get out the door!
We began this in the spring when our success rate would be higher. There was more light and it was warmer in the evening. Starting a new outside habit would be harder during a Wisconsin winter. Not to say it couldn’t be done though. Even in spring, we tried to be consistent, but sometimes there were swim lessons, storms, or working late. We had to be a little flexible and that’s ok. If most of us were home for it, those present would walk. Overall, we were sticking to it and more often than not we were out on our walk after dinner.
The key is to make it less optional and more of a scheduled event. Pretend it’s a very important appointment (because it is) that can’t be broken. When it is broken (and it will be) give yourself some grace as sometimes things are out of our control. You are not moving backwards if you miss a few walks. However, if you had the chance to walk and you decided to sit on the couch and watch Dark Matter with a glass of wine, you may need to reconsider how serious you are about this endeavor. Living a healthy active lifestyle takes diligence, and if you don’t commit you won’t get fit.
I find the nights when I am tired and don’t want to walk are the nights I feel the best after doing so. It’s sort of a trick of the body/brain. Even when I’m feeling a bit ill, I walk. I have a friend going through chemo for breast cancer and she is still trying to walk everyday. Under this extreme circumstance, finding grace for yourself is important. She does not walk far and not fast, but she does it every day she can. It matters to her and she looks forward to it. She breathes the fresh air, shakes off some stress, and finds gratitude in the moment. The time she spends walking with her husband and daughter are precious. The pace does not matter to them as they talk, stop to look at a caterpillar or wave to the neighbor. Sometimes the walk is more than the steps you take, it’s the experience.
Consider where/when you can walk that will give you an experience. Bundling with something positivie can create anticipation. You will look forward to it! Meals are often an experience we already enjoy. You may want to walk before breakfast if you are an early riser. I know you’ve heard it before, but walk on your lunch break. Consider bringing a colleague along and keep conversation off of work and positive. If you’re like me, walking alone is more centering. I can practice being screen free and just feel the air on my face and the ground beneath my feet. Connect with nature somehow and be present. It’s in my blog post Playbook. We are creatures of the Earth and we are connected to it. The birds, the breeze, the sun, and more. Mindfulness (being here and now) is powerful and important.
If walking with meals is unmanageable for you, consider how else you can habit bundle. If you feel there is no time to walk you may have to get creative. Really consider what is taking up your time and what is important to you. There are myriad strategies to get moving. Try to keep it simple. If all else fails, any movement is better than none. It’s a healthy lifestyle you are working towards, and sometimes things take more time than we want. Slow and steady. Stay the course.
If you are already walking daily, great! You're ready to move forward further. We could talk about walking with purpose, adding some speed or distance goals, or finding a reward for sticking with it. If you need some help narrowing things down or expanding upon things you already do, please contact me for a consultation. I’m happy to help you in any way I can.
Enjoy the journey and good luck!
MP
Founder
