If you’re looking for a simple and accessible way to improve your overall well-being, the answer may be as straightforward as taking a walk. In fact, there are many symptoms you might have experienced that can be alleviated with commitment to a regular walking practice. In this article, you’ll learn how nine common symptoms can be made better with walking.
I woke up my sophomore year of college to discover two seemingly unrelated issues. First, I had gained not just the freshman fifteen, but more like the freshman thirty, and I’m barely 5’3”. I blame dorm food and a steady stream of 11:00 p.m. pizza runs. Second, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life or even who I really was. I felt like I was constantly in reaction mode, and between classes, homework, and living with dozens of people on the 8th floor of Denton 8 (my dorm), well, the picture wasn’t pretty.
A long staple of military training, in its most basic form, rucking is simply walking with a loaded pack. The term comes from “rucksack,” the durable pack the military uses to carry equipment. Recent research has confirmed what our military has long known: rucking is a powerful form of fitness, whatever your mission.
Highly versatile, the weight you carry can vary based on your fitness level and training goals, and the right pack makes it easy to increase the weight as you get stronger. And get stronger you will, along with a host of other benefits that make rucking something we should all add to our walking practice.
If rising temperatures have you sweating about how to keep up with your walking practice, find relief with nine tips to keep you cool and crush your miles.
It is said that variety is the spice of life, a lesson you should consider applying to your walking style. Varying your routine helps to keep you from getting bored and presents the opportunity to challenge your body in new ways that can lead to stronger muscles and a healthier you. Here are nine ways you can switch things up and add a little spice to your walking workout.
Just a few months from now, the days will become shorter. The schedule busier. And our surroundings more muted. These are the days where we yearn for the warmth of the sun, relaxing days with family and friends, and the time to slow down and live in the moment.
Embracing a life of partial retirement, Pack Member Sue Campbell, age 65, has stepped away from 28 years of teaching middle school science and is enjoying her newfound time to walk more by herself, allowing her mind to move to where it needs to be. As a teacher who’s always made her students the priority, she’s using her walking practice as a way to put herself and her health first, providing a centering or anchoring time for her.
We recently chatted with Sue to get to know her better and here’s just some of what we discovered.
Here at 99 Walks, we want everyone to show up and be celebrated in their truest form, so much so that we made celebrating diversity a pillar of the company from the start, incorporating it into our core values. During Pride Month, we took a closer look at the values that guide us and found five that embrace the LGBTQ+ community, as we embrace and love all those that make up our colorful world.
The ability to walk upright is a uniquely human characteristic. Many experts credit this ability as the critical attribute that has driven our development and innovation as a species. So it’s no wonder that we use walking expressions—or idioms—pretty much all the time.
If rising temperatures have you sweating about how to keep up with your walking practice, find relief with nine tips to keep you cool and crush your miles.
It’s easy to get caught up on a number. An often unrealistic measurement that you tell yourself you need to reach in order to show progress toward a weight loss goal. But it’s time to put that marker aside, and focus on other—often more valuable—signs of change. As you build your intentional walking practice, whether for exercise, mental health, or weight loss, consider the following nine non-scale victories that we think are pretty awesome, and definitely worth a little happy dance.
It sometimes feels like we are constantly being told what to be.
Be happy.
Be beautiful.
Be polite.
Be courageous.
Be quiet.
Be grateful.
Be kind.
Embracing the stage in life where her kids are mostly grown, Pack Member Nina Mefford, age 50, is making her way back to some “me time” and pursuing her hobbies. And that includes taking the time to walk, with a 99 Walks coach in her ear cheering her on, and helping her remember that she is worth spending time for herself. She’s kicking aside the mentality of doing something only because it’s “good for her,” which was only accompanied by a bad attitude toward exercise, low self esteem and boredom, and sinking into the help and encouragement of a team that will walk with her on her journey to better health and wellness.
We recently chatted with Nina, and here’s just a few things we’ve discovered about her.
Anxiety. It presents itself in a multitude of ways. It might be a knot in the pit of your stomach, a racing heart rate, or a heightened sense of fear. You might find yourself sleeping less, feeling overwhelmed, flushed or with a tingling in your arms and fingers. However it manifests itself, anxiety can be tough to overcome, but walking can help.
My day starts out at 5:40 a.m. I haul myself out of bed, stumble to the bathroom and throw on some workout clothes before my early morning meeting. I work until my kids get up for school, then make lunches, straighten the house, and get my boys ready for the day. I speed-walk the dog behind my son who has hopped on his bicycle to get to school, throwing out the occasional hello to the neighbors as we quickly pass by. Once he’s safely at school, I fire up a podcast to listen to on my way home, then once in the door, grab a quick breakfast before heading back to my desk.
Pack member Jane Cook, age 75, doesn’t let the hardships of life get her down. Being widowed at age 28 with two small kids, and having had bilateral knee replacements, Jane has learned to adapt to her situation and find ways to stay intentional according to her own abilities. With this mindset and intention, Jane has found herself down 16 pounds, and when not walking in the water, she’s getting in her miles with her best walking pals—her Jetti Poles, Trust and Hope.
We recently chatted with Jane, and here’s just a few things we’ve discovered about her.
The clock just struck 2 p.m. and your eyelids start to droop, feeling heavy as bricks. You force them open, willing the sunlight outside to power them to stay alert, but the urge to close seems to be winning the struggle. You realize you’ve been sitting for several unproductive minutes, foggy-headed, unable to focus. Thinking about all the things you still need to accomplish, you know you need to do something to find your energy. Should you head to the kitchen for some caffeine? No, you should take a power nap. And here’s why.
Put away the excuses and start an intentional walking practice. We’ve compiled 99 reasons why you should do just that.
When we think back on the past two years, a flood of emotions come rushing through our minds. There were times of happiness, and times of sorrow. There were moments of fear and uncertainty, and others of relief and acceptance. There was warmth on our faces, and tears in our eyes. Deep breaths in and long exhales out. There was sun. And there was rain.
Known on social media as Damnit Dara, 44-year-old Pack Member and breast cancer survivor Dara Dunbar, is walking through life with her head held high and a smile on her face. You’ll usually find her getting her walk in before things get started in the mornings, and now you’ll see her with her two new favorite additions—”Peace” and “Quiet”—her Jetti Poles.
We recently chatted with Dara and here’s just some of what we discovered.
After a long, cold Winter, we can’t wait for Spring to arrive. With the change of seasons comes warmer weather, more sunshine, colorful landscapes, and—achoo!—seasonal allergies. There’s no doubt that this time of year beckons us outside, but itchy, watery eyes and sniffling noses may make us think twice. But, think again. Walking outdoors may actually be just the thing to beat those seasonal allergies.
We spent a lot of time searching for the perfect color for Jetti Poles.
The color had to represent their potential—their limitless possibilities—and it seemed unfair to settle for something typical … like blue or turquoise or teal.
It had to be about YOU.
It is said that variety is the spice of life, a lesson you should consider applying to your walking style. Varying your routine helps to keep you from getting bored and presents the opportunity to challenge your body in new ways that can lead to stronger muscles and a healthier you. Here are nine ways you can switch things up and add a little spice to your walking workout.
When did we become convinced that only big things count? If we’re not moving mountains, saving the world or transforming our lives, then why bother?
Here’s why. Because life is lived in the moments and change is made one small step at a time. The little things do count. And every mile does matter.
They matter for two related, but different, reasons.
Pack Member Zucchuni B. Murphy is embracing her 50s and hitting the streets of New York City to nurture her own health and well-being. Accompanied by her two cocker spaniels, she finds her therapy in walking, and keeps her head held high as she takes in the sights and sounds of the city.
We recently chatted with Zucchuni and here’s just some of what we discovered.
