Once in a while, a particular issue of the magazine will heighten my level of interest more than usual. In this issue, I was struck by a number of stories relating to the role physical activity plays in the lives of some of the prominent individuals featured. In Claire Miller’s piece, “Health and Hope,” she refers to retired United States Navy Admiral James Stavridis and his regime of walking 10,000 steps a day and working out on an elliptical four times per week and Marine Corps General John F. Kelly, who continues to walk and run. For these individuals, physical activity is integral to performing at their overall best, that is, mentally as well as physically.
As I continued my review of proposed articles, I was intrigued by the submission written by Angela Douglas, “No One Walks Alone.” I took a trip back in time to December 2003 when I conceived the idea of formalizing a walking group that evolved to become the New Albany Walking Club. At that time my purpose was focused on encouraging people to walk for physical health. Now that nearly 20 years have passed, the Club has become much more than a repository for breaking 10K or half marathon finishing times, training for competition, or for many members, walking for physical well-being. Those who are engaged on each Sunday morning walk have discovered that the benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the start and finish of a workout. Friendships have developed among people who had never met. Peer support, whether to promote a walk goal or to offer an ear of understanding in times of need, is evident. The post-workout gatherings that include coffee and snacks inside the Heit Center encourage members to hang out, talk, participate in health seminars and so much more.
The benefits of walking are succinctly expressed in a New York Times piece I came across two days before I gave thought about this article. Titled, “Whatever the Problem, It’s Probably Solved by Walking,” the author writes that, “Walking is the worst-kept secret I know. Its rewards hide under every step. Perhaps because we take walking so much for granted, many of us often ignore its ample gifts. … In truth, I doubt I would walk often or very far if its sole benefit was physical.” I could not think about a more timely read that expresses my belief in addition to how the New Albany Walking Club facilitates mental, social and physical well-being.
