It was pretty cold today but I really needed to walk—to move my body, feed my spirit and clear my mind. Walking does help my physically, but it’s also fuel for so much more.
Most of us take better care of our vehicles than we do our bodies and souls. We fuel up our gas tanks or plug in our cars as the case may be, but we let ourselves run on fumes long after we’ve hit empty.
I struggle with chronic pain and ironically, one of the best ways for me to deal with that is to move my body. More specifically, it helps to move the very part of me that’s aching and says, “I can’t do that today.”
For the last six weeks or so, I’ve had issues with my hip flexors which have discouraged my walking. The cold, gray, rainy days we’ve had for weeks on end have also kept me from walking. Today was no different for all of the above, except that it wasn’t raining. Yay, walking here we come!
Physically, walking decreases my pain and makes me feel better, even if it’s just temporary relief for a few hours. But walking helps my soul, my spirit and my outlook for potentially the whole day, maybe longer.
These gray days can so easily bring on a funk that lingers and if left unchecked, gains traction. Walking helps keep my mood and perspective in check. And walking somehow produces solutions and clarity where there was formerly confusion or indecision.
When I wake up and can tell it’s another gray day, it’s hard to get out of bed. Like it or not, I have to make myself do the things that I know will be good for my body, mind and soul. I never regret doing those things; however, I often regret NOT doing those things.
At the end of the day which do I want? To have felt good and be more content? Or to not have the benefits of moving my body and have regret about that? Of course the answer is obvious, but I don’t always choose what’s best for me. Sometimes I come up with excuses.
I did personal development work on honesty this week. What I discovered is that I am an extremely honest person, but I already knew that. What I also learned and hated to admit was how much I lie to myself.
“I don’t have time.” Have any of you said that about exercising? I lie to myself with that excuse too. The truth is, we either make the time or we don’t. We are grown adults and we make time for what we value. Most of us can probably go to bed earlier and get up earlier if exercise is a priority and that’s the only way to make it work.
My morning schedule today was tight (because I did not get up early). I still wanted to walk but I felt pressure with everything I was trying to squeeze in. I came up with a plan and walked for twenty minutes prior to everything else I had to do.
As soon as I came in from my walk, a third, less-hectic option for how to structure my day’s appointments and activities came to mind that I hadn’t considered before. See, walking changes things. Now I’m doing plan C—plan “walk and see”—which still gets the important things done AND gives me breathing room.
For today, take a walk, change your life.
Follow up: A few mornings after writing this, we finally had a sunny day and my whole self was screaming to take a walk. But I had planned to go to the gym for an elliptical workout (tougher cardio) and to run errands. I decided to compromise and take a ten minute walk and then carry on with my original plans.
I took the ten-minute lap around my neighborhood and my serotonin levels (the feel good hormone) must have tripled! I realized what I needed more than anything else was to keep walking and do my whole thirty minutes of exercise outside, soaking up the sun and fresh air.
I could go to the gym and run errands another day, so I prioritized what was most important and needed in that moment.
This is more proof that walking changes our days and our lives. Listening to the needs of our bodies and souls does as well.
Click here to read one of the best articles I've found lately about the historical
advantages of walking.
Today, let’s take good care of ourselves, take a walk, and let’s be honest about how we prioritize our time.
Remember, Solvitur Ambulando! ("It is solved by walking.") ~attributed to Diogenes, a 4th century B.C. Greek philosopher
