Walk
Write

By Judy Heller

Judy Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime. Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com

Also visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com

I only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.

— John Muir

10 Strategies to Transform Your Walking

As the calendar pages flip to the month of March, many of you may realize the honeymoon is over for your well-self/walking goals set in January. Has life intervened? Is it feeling like work, and your enthusiasm has waned? Are you feeling disappointed or frustrated? Revisit your vision for this year. As this is the time the gremlin voices come alive with negative self talk, here are 10 strategies for transforming your walking or exercise of choice to positive progress and achievement. These are lessons learned through my sport, which is racewalking as a competitor and coach. The technique to racewalking and the art of racewalking offer lessons that foster personal growth and wellbeing.

1. Let go of perfection.
Focus on persistence. If something didn’t go well yesterday, it’s OK. Each day is a new opportunity to refine your desired wellness/walking path. As Mark Twain said, “A habit is a habit not to be thrown out the window, by any man, but coaxed gently down the stairs one step at a time.”

2. Let go of negative self talk.
Focus on celebrating all that you do accomplish. Clap yourself on the back, as there is no such thing as a triumph too small to celebrate. Perhaps you discover walking in the morning doesn’t work, you’ve learned something. Don’t beat yourself up because you aren’t a morning person.

3. Let go of what you did in your past.
Focus on self acceptance. Maybe you were fit or an athlete in your past. Maybe your body composition was healthier. To move forward, you have to accept where you are. Too often the emphasis is on “self-hate,” which keeps you stuck. You can be fit again. You can change your body composition. Accept who you are today with a vision for who you want to be.

4. Let go of obstacles.
Focus on your commitment. Obstacles appear as a blockage or barrier, which appear as a dead end, keeping you from your desired outcome. They challenge you to see how much you want to be successful. Each day you have an opportunity to make a difference, to do something another way. Your vow to yourself helps you find new ways to achieve. Journal your progress daily as a reminder, as most people forget what they have accomplished over time.

5. Let go of all-or-nothing.
Focus on consistency. How many times have you not done something because you didn’t have enough time to do it all? It is OK to break time into smaller increments. Changing habits happen one step at a time. It is only when you repeatedly take steps on a consistent basis that change begins to happen.

6. Let go of quantity.
Focus on quality. The how you do something is more important than the quantity of what you do. It is better to walk a shorter distance with focus on form, than pushing to go faster or further with poor walking technique.

7. Let go of distractions.
Focus on accountability. A distraction is something that interferes with concentration or takes attention away from your desired target. I’ve found, quite often, distractions are manifested as an emotional upset of life’s intervention. Perhaps, it is a fear or anxiety about money, work, or family. This emotion isn’t going to solve the problem. Making a plan and executing it helps you cope by fostering accountability and keeps you going.

8. Let go of “must,” “should,” and “need.”
Focus on intrinsic joy. How many times have you embarked upon a path because you needed to, should, or must? These external motivators are harsh and may work for a short time. What really keeps successful people going is the internal joy that they experience. The feel-good feelings, more energy, making new friends, and oh, yes, improving health.

9. Let go of rigidity.
Focus on flexibility. An action plan is a map. It’s your guide to how you will accomplish your goals. Be able to adjust and adapt as circumstance change. Perhaps you want to do a marathon. What will you do if you really don’t have the time to train? What happens if you sprain an ankle or catch a bug? Be flexible.

10. Let go of chaos.
Focus on discipline. Sometimes life intervenes with upheaval and turmoil. It is easy to get caught in this cycle.

Only you can take control of your health and wellness. Doing so helps to reduce stress hormones, build confidence, and improves your walking fitness.