Going for a Walk: My Daily Practice for Peace and Wellness

This year I started a daily walking routine and I am pretty obsessed.

I go for a long walk each night before or after dinner. On the weekends, I try to do it in the mornings. I started this when I was recovering from carpel tunnel surgery and every other type of exercise seemed to hurt me. I started with just walking and now I’m actually power walking (yes with my arms swinging back and forth) and I love it. I feel like a suburban mom cliché, except I do not take my stroller or my kid. No, thank you. This is my hour to myself. And for the first time in as long as I can remember, I actually look forward to exercising instead of dreading it and watching the clock.

What is it about walking that is so different than other forms of exercise?

It doesn’t hurt!

My whole life I believed subscribed to the no pain, no gain mentality: If I wasn’t hurting my muscles or injuring something, I couldn’t really be working hard enough. When I had two swollen wrists after surgery, I had to accept that there was no way I was going to be doing burpees or lifting any weights for a very long time. I couldn’t even grip my bike handlebars. At first, this felt like defeat. I got a little depressed. And to lift my spirits, I started going on walks. Now I am addicted. It’s just me and my podcasts, powering through the neighborhood, trying to take different routes each time to keep it interesting. I am very sweaty and I feel as though I have exhausted myself when I get home, but I am never in pain and I never pull or strain anything. I think there is something to be said about a form of exercise with almost no risk of injury.

I can practice mindfulness!

I walk outside as opposed to on the treadmill and I find that the sunshine and all the natural surroundings of my neighborhood are the perfect setting to allow myself to just be. On the days where I don’t listen to a podcast or music, I allow myself to take in the sounds, sights and smells around me. The other day I let myself meander by these honeysuckle bushes and it was magical. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we used to eat the honeysuckle. Sometimes, I listen to the sound of my own breath and focus on nothing else. Last night I noticed the way some of the peeling tree bark crunched under my shoes. It is in those simple little moments that I am present with myself. I think about so much when I walk, and I have found a lot of clarity when I pay attention to my surroundings. I think, but I do not ruminate. I make decisions, but I make them from a place of peace and not from fear and anxiety. This has been the biggest gamechanger for me, because no other form of exercise has given me that kind of peace. When I was running, I was concerned with getting it over with it and the last thing I paid attention to was fallen tree bark. Just get me to the finish line. Now I find myself enjoying the journey!

No one is around.

I used to like to exercise in a group. In my 20’s, I lived for a high-energy spin class in a packed studio. Now I prefer to exercise alone and not communicate with another soul, except to smile at passersby. We have a busy, often loud household and even when I sneak away into the basement to ride my bike or do a workout video, I am never truly alone. Someone always needs something. But when I am out on my walk, I am totally inaccessible, and I love it. My phone setting is on “do not disturb” and only emergency calls from my husband can come through. I don’t allow anyone to break that peace and it feels very empowering.

It beats a bad mood.

We all have bad moods, but sometimes I am in a funk for longer than I would like, and I need an outlet. Exercise in all forms is a great mood booster, but there is a noticeable difference in the way I feel when I am power walking. Maybe it’s because unlike the treadmill or the spin bike, I am actually moving forward. I know being outside and feeling sunshine on my face has something to do with the mood boost as well. I don’t know about other people’s cadence, but I definitely power walk with intentional pep in my step. I like the crisp scrape of my tennis shoes on the pavement. I like to go fast-ish. My breath gets a little heavy and I definitely get hot and sweaty, especially in this recent heat wave, and that feels good.

I have gone on some runs before that my body did not enjoy, but I’ve yet to go on a walk that I regretted. I once heard someone talking about how she overcame depression and she talked about the simple power of taking a short walk around the block. Gradually, the walks became longer and with each walk, she was able to feel a little mentally stronger. I totally get that. Walking can be a form of therapy. I used to think power walking was for old ladies in shiny track suits. Now I guess I am on my way to being one of them. You won’t find me in a stroller club pushing my son in our Bob up a hill or walking with my local neighborhood group because walking is something I do as a treat for myself by myself. It may not be enough stimulation for some people, but walking is an activity that is available to anyone, anywhere, of any fitness level. You can go as fast or as slow as you want. I used to always worry about whether the hotels on vacation would have a gym and now I don’t even care because I know I can discover somewhere cool to go walking wherever I go.

I feel a lot less pressure to exercise and I think because the experience for me has become more enjoyable. Whatever you do to relax each day, I suggest trying a walk and letting yourself escape from your phone, your family, and whatever else. Even if it’s just for 20-30 minutes.

I truly believe that you owe it to yourself to make time for mental and physical health or you will shortchange yourself in so many ways. Walking around my neighborhood is one of the ways I make time for my health. It’s something I can commit to without feeling overwhelmed and it is a daily practice that keeps me centered so that I can show up in the world as the person, wife and mom I want to be.