No, IT IS NOT!

Are you kidding me?!

Didn’t work.

OMG! Who said that? 

Seriously. Who said that?

Michael, was that you?

Katie?!

I swear I will turn this car around this minute!

Okay, is that the way it’s going to be?? Fine, well then everyone will just have to stay put until this newsletter is finished! I don’t want to see a single bite left on your plate.

(Who does he think he is?! I will leave this whenever I am darn good and ready! “Nobody is leaving this newsletter??” Well, I swear! Never in my life have I heard such gi…)

Okay, now to get all up in it. WALKING IS AMAZING!!

Here’s why walking is so easy to fall in love with. Just a heads up – I had to cut the list short, because there are too many sweet reasons for a “brief” newsletter like ours.

Hopefully, you already find or will find your groove within one or more of the following. Oh yeah, we’re even leaving the ‘prevents heart attacks, cancer, and Alzheimer’s’ reason on the bench for this one. But it’s always ready when needed.

With walking you can…

1. Get Social – not ‘fake’ social, but REAL social

• Walk with Friends or Family: Invite someone to join you. Walking and talking makes the time pass so quickly. Here’s a perfect example. Last Tuesday, I met my good friend, Bob, halfway between our New Albany, OH houses. We met after dinner, around 6:30. Without paying attention, we were in Indianapolis by sundown. Neither of us even knew it (the power of a great conversation, huh?). 191 miles flew by just like that. You’re right, next time we’ll have to be more careful. (Hey Doc Walkpants, I bet if you were on your fake social, I imagine you mean Twitter (X), you wouldn’t have ended up in Indiana. You big dummy)

• Join a Walking Group: HA! I know a great one! Walking with others is motivating and social. Plus you learn cool stuff. 2 weeks ago I learned dolphins name themselves and that Australia is wider than the moon. If it hadn’t been for Walk with a Doc, I’d be wandering around this Friday thinking dolphins didn’t have names.

2. Set Challenges or Goals

• Distance Goals: Set a target for how far you want to walk and gradually increase it over time. No need to build Rome in a day, 10% more each week is fantastic (just like you, btw)
• Speed Goals: If you’re trying to improve. Try walking faster or incorporating intervals where you speed up for a few minutes, then slow down. Woahh!
• Step Count: Use a pedometer or a fitness app to track your steps and challenge yourself to reach a certain number each day. How many should I get each day?

3. Incorporate Technology

• Listen to Music or Podcasts: Create a playlist of your favorite songs (hmmmm, Mitchell Tenpenny) or listen to a podcast or audiobook that interests you. Rachael and I love books – we’re not married (to each other), just coworkers, but we both love books. We also both agree on this one being 5 stars!
• Use a Walking App: Some apps gamify walking, turning it into a fun adventure, like “Zombies, Run!” or “Walkr.” 

Seriously, do I need to go on? Isn’t this a ton already?

Okay, fine. Since someone (still don’t know who) called it ‘boring’ – hah, ludicrous. Let’s keep going because walking is amazing!

 4. Practice Mindfulness

• Mindful Walking: Focus on your surroundings, the sound of your footsteps, your breathing, and the sights and sounds around you. This can be a relaxing and enriching experience. As you are one with the universe, you can…

5. …turn it into a Photo Walk

• Photography: Bring your camera or smartphone and take photos of interesting things you see along the way. You can focus on specific themes like nature, architecture, or street art. Bob and I saw a Hoosier when we crossed the OH border into IN. Seriously. Blew my mind as I’d always heard of them growing up; never seen one. Thank you ‘walking’ – if it wasn’t for you I’d think it was just the IU Mascot. Now I have a photo of a real one.

6. Incorporate Exercises – for our WWAD overachievers

• Intervals: Mix in short bursts of jogging, jumping jacks, or lunges during your walk.
• Strength Exercises: Find a park bench or sturdy surface to do push-ups, tricep dips, or step-ups during your walk

Go for it! Then maybe you hop off the Zombies Run app (see #3) and head over to some Walkers dating app with your new biceps. Yes, there are dating apps exclusively for walkers but I had no idea until now (seriously honey (not Rachael, but Krissy), I had to google it). I’m not going to list these 2 apps as that would take a little research that could make Krissy a little…

7. Discover Historical or Cultural Sites

• Learn Something New: Walk through areas with historical significance or cultural landmarks. Use an app or guidebook to learn about the history of the area as you walk. Many of our WWAD leaders have incorporated these into their regular locales. Unrelated, does anyone have a map where you mark spots that you’ve been? I have 5. I use them all for different vacations so it looks like we’ve never gone anywhere. I have one made of Legos – TMI.

8. Walk with a Purpose

• Errand Walk: Combine your walk with a task, like picking up groceries, mailing a letter, or visiting a friend. I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I’m pretty sure there’s a special happy hormone or cytokine that gets released with this one. It just feels so good!
• Walk for a Cause: Participate in charity walks or events that support a cause you care about. Twofer.

9. Bring a Pup

• Walk a Dog: If you have a dog, bring them along. If not, consider volunteering to walk dogs at a local animal shelter.

Ok, whoever said that word that starts with a ‘b’ at the beginning, I forgive you – I still CANNOT believe you put that in the Subject Line of all places, but now do you believe me?

Happy Friday!!!!
David

Disclaimer: Bob and I didn’t really walk to Indianapolis in 2 hours