Walking Forwellness
Frank Greally walks with purpose on Gratitude Road
I’m glad to say that I have not missed a single day of walking so far this year and I hope to continue as I started; walking with purpose and gratitude and embracing my gi of days, one at a time.
In the challenging times that we live in, my daily walk is what I call my ‘calm time’ when I make an appointment with myself to fully embrace and celebrate the joy of living. I walk with purpose and a rhythm that suits me; occasionally stopping to take a photo of something that I nd interesting or inspirational and worth recording. It’s lovely to look back at pictures taken on my walks and I try my best to make sure that the only use I make of my mobile phone when out walking is to take such photos.
On my daily walks – o en twice a day– I keep in mind the words of motivational speaker Gerry Du y when I remember that ‘I never have to walk– I get to walk.’. It’s a little nugget that I took away from one of Gerry’s talks a few years back and I nd it helps keep me motivated and evergrateful for being able to walk with continuing good health and a clear mind. Putting on your walking shoes and going out the front door is really the only obstacle to making sure that your daily walk becomes a priority, not to be missed.
I have never felt sorry for having gone for a walk, but I have not felt at all good about skipping the occasional walk for some silly reason that brought me no bene t. Last year, I resolved to make my daily walk as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth and I nd that approach has worked for me.
‘Purpose’ and ‘Gratitude’ are two very empowering words and they have become the touchstones for my daily walks. ey are the words that can help kick-start a brand new walking plan or enhance and build on a regular routine.
It’s all about getting into a routine that makes walking an integral part of every day; rain, hail or shine. Choosing the best time of day to walk is helpful too, and I nd that the early morning works best for me to complete my rst walk of the day. e early morning walk is always something to look forward to and a follow-on walk during the day or in the evening is also a nice bonus to savour.
Many of us arrive at our middle years unprepared for the reality of advancing age. Dr George Sheehan, one of the original tness gurus in the US, wrote about this, and I o en quote him.
‘‘Most experts suggest that as we age we make a new start in a new career, develop new interests. I say begin at the beginning. Begin with the body.
e body mirrors the soul and the mind, and is much more accessible than either. Become pro cient at listening to your body and you will eventually hear from your totality – the complex, unique person you are. At age 45, I began to walk and later run and in that hour a day I began to nd out who I was. I discovered my body is a marvellous thing and learned that any ordinary human can move in ways that have excited painters and sculptors since time began.’’
George’s words have an even truer ring for me today than when I rst read them a few decades ago. It does not take a bicycle long to get rusty if it’s le in the rain. I believe the same applies to the body. We stop exercising at our peril and regular, purposeful walking is an ideal way to keep both body and mind in tune. It’s greatly encouraging to see an ever increasing number of people of all ages out walking and during the pandemic, walking seems to have become especially popular for families experiencing fresh joy and new discoveries in the parks and on trails all around the country.