“I’m not saying going for a walk will solve all your problems, I’m just saying there’s no problem that’s going to be made worse by going for a walk.”
— Ryan Holiday
It seems simple. So simple, in fact, that I was doubtful.
As someone that was reared on basketball practices where you ran until you vomited and exhaustive two-hour weightlifting sessions that left you feeling nearly paralyzed, I couldn’t imagine that something so slow, basic, and, well, pedestrian could have such an impact on my life.
I was wrong.
My daily walk has transformed my life, not only for the physical benefits, but for the mental and emotional ones, as well. I have found that it helps me unlock whatever issue I’m currently wrestling with — be it personal, interpersonal, professional, etc. — or even just clarify my mindset and confirm that I actually have been approaching it correctly.
I’m also happier and more at ease. If life and circumstances prevent me from even a short walk, I feel unsettled; if I go two or three days without it (like, say, when the sky was blood orange), it really affects my mood. I want the steps and exercise, but what I really crave is the process and the thinking and the wandering.
Pete Adeney, a/k/a Mr. Money Mustache, is a disciple of the daily walk as well:
“Walking is so powerful and so underrated. Your brain just goes into overdrive. All of your problems sort of start to solve themselves in the background. And for people who don’t do it regularly, like an hour a day of walking to genuinely go somewhere, they just discount it because they haven’t even experienced this incredible power.”
I’m far from the first person to tout the benefits of walking. A simple Google search will yield a quintillion results on the power of a walk, ranging from the American Legion to Harvard Business Review to the Mayo Clinic, and everything in between.
Of course, I had to learn it the hard way.
I hate running and as I approach my mid-forties I think the pounding would be more detrimental than beneficial, but I never thought of walking as a form of cardio.
I often took a lunchtime walk, but it was just a leisurely stroll in my business casual attire and dress shoes. One day, for whatever reason, I decided that I wanted to step it up, so I brought a gym bag and changed into a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. There’s a street near my office with a giant hill. I would scale it twice before I could return to walk. There’s also a park with trails close by and I explored those. I was never gone more than an hour, but it was more taxing — and more enjoyable — than just aimlessly scuffling around the parking lot.
I began to do the same when I was home. I have various different routes I take. I will go in almost any weather and I’ll try to plan my day so that I have an hour to devote to my walk, even if that means taking a phone call during it.
It wasn’t only the walking, of course. A much stricter diet, anchored by lunch consisting of chicken and vegetables every single day, coupled with the long walks are the two things that have allowed me to lose nearly 60 pounds — and counting. I’ve incorporated weights and strength training into the mix, but the real improvement came when I used my lunch hour to walk and eat healthy.
It’s now one of my absolute favorite things to do.
Walking has transformed my day. Walking has transformed my life.
I just wish I had started sooner.
Christopher Pierznik is the worst-selling author of nine books. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, Fatherly, Hip Hop Golden Age, and many more. Connect on Facebook. Please feel free to get in touch at CPierznik99@gmail.com.
The Passion of Christopher Pierznik 