Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who believes life takes her where she needs to go, no matter the roundabout path.
Before I discovered the joys of rambling, I used to jog regularly. I occasionally went walking with friends, but I never did it alone. I regarded going for a walk more as a social activity than exercise and believed running, fitness classes, and personal training sessions were necessary for physical fitness.
My beliefs in regards to walking starting changing in my mid-fifties as I noticed myself developing a mental block against going for a run. Jogging was taking a toll on my body, causing me pain, and I found it increasingly difficult to motivate myself to lace up and hit the streets.
It came to head during the pandemic, when I started walking every day because I had more time on my hands. I discovered I loved going for long walks and my resistance to daily exercise lessened. As I became more consistent with my walks, I started feeling stronger and fitter than I had in a long time.
This experience changed my perspective on walking as a great form of exercise. I now think the no pain, no gain approach to achieving physical fitness isn't ideal (unless you're training for something specific), especially as we age and experience more pain and fewer gains.
I did some reading and came to believe that midlife and beyond is a great time to start reaping the benefits of moderate exercise, especially through a daily walk. It's amazing how something as simple as walking can significantly improve the quality of our later years!
Walking has incredible health benefits and positively impacts our overall well-being. It promotes fitness, happiness, companionship, and physical comfort, allowing us to move without pain. Its health benefits seem almost limitless.
For all these reasons, we created the Daily Ramble Habit Challenge at Sole Sister Ramblers, which we host every couple of months. If you want to join the next challenge, sign up for a notification here.
In the meantime here are some tips to create a daily walking habit.
Start with the Habit
This challenge aims to create a daily rambling habit, so we encourage you to begin by building the habit and then trust that the rest of the good stuff (like getting strong and fit) will gradually happen on a timeline that suits you.
Be Kind to Yourself
As you commit to daily movement, remember to be kind to yourself and enjoy the process. Start slowly at first, feeling the joy and exhilaration it brings. Keep moving as long as you are having fun and are free of pain or exhaustion.
Find and Embrace Your Comfort Zone
A comfort zone is a situation where one feels safe, at ease, and without stress. We all enjoy our comfort zones, and it's perfectly okay - good even. Life without ease, comfort, and safety is untenable. So, despite ubiquitous internet wisdom about pushing yourself to the limit, comfort zones are happy places to cherish and enjoy.
However, sometimes, pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone can lead to improvement. The key is to consider when and how you want to embrace temporary discomfort and ensure that the benefits outweigh the disquiet it brings.
You might be able to sustain your activity for 5 minutes, an hour, or 3 hours—whatever it is, that's okay. The important thing is to feel the excitement and eagerness to continue.
For this challenge, consider that the consistency and regularity of the habit are what genuinely matters, and that is where you should stretch your comfort zone for now.
Humans need to move - every day. We are built for it. However, pushing yourself too hard physically and setting goals too far from where you are now will likely lead to discouragement and injury.
Define Your Motivation
When adding a walking routine to your life, consider your personal motivations. Is it for self-care, to recharge, to create space for problem-solving, or to access your creativity?
Or is it to build a community or make friends with like-minded ramblers
Perhaps it's to ensure you can enjoy activities you love well into your eighties and nineties? Whatever your reason, keep it in mind as you embark on this journey.
Start Simply
Set goals that are doable in terms of time and distance. Ask yourself: How much time can I commit over the next month? Can I carve out 10, 20, 30 minutes each day? How long do I feel good walking - if it's 5 minutes, start with that.
Stick To It For 30 Days
It takes several weeks for something to become a habit.
Fail Without Judgement
If you falter, start again. Avoid judgment and negative self-talk. Every walk improves your life. Some people build habits by committing to it every day because it helps them avoid giving themselves an out if it is too cold, too rainy, or too tired. But that might not work for you, and that's okay.
Prepare Thoughtfully
A habit will form in time, and your preparation will be on autopilot. However, while building a habit, be thoughtful about your preparation and assess the obstacles likely to impede your progress and how you might eliminate them.
Keep your rambling kit (shoes, socks, water, etc.) beside the door, ready to go. Invest in warm, water-wicking clothes, comfortable shoes and socks.
Avoid unrealistic goals like resolving to walk at 6 a.m. if you're not a morning person - we are old enough to know ourselves by now.
Keep a Routine
Making a habit stick takes some perseverance, so honor the routines that help you build your walking practice. Perhaps walk at the same time and place every day? Enjoy a coffee shop break, a smoothie, or a warm shower after your walk.
Find Rambling Buddies
Finding like-minded Ramblers is an excellent way to motivate you, so perhaps you can Join or create a Sole Circle. Sole Circles are how we connect our global community in local rambling groups. Members lead and join local walks and other activities.
Consider leading or joining rambles if you're already in a Sole Circle.
Acknowledge The Time It Takes
You may have to give something up to create the time and space for this new practice. There is a finite number of hours in a day, so ask yourself, what am I willing to do or stop doing to make time for this?
Record Your Walks
Track your walks in an app or a notebook. Take a picture and post it on your social media, in our joy-filled Facebook Group. Rambling brings its own set of lessons, challenges, and rewards. So keep track and enjoy looking back.
Observe The Times When It Isn't Fun
There is a lot to learn from the strenuous walk. Ask yourself, what on earth was that? What just happened? What was challenging about it? What did I take away from it? How do I keep it fun?
Stepping out of our comfort zones can be intimidating, but remember, you're not alone in this journey. Your supportive community of Sole Sisters is here to cheer you on and provide the support and wisdom you need to succeed. Remember our motto is everywhere is in rambling distance when you have Sole Sisters.
You got this! Happy rambling!
READ MORE > JT'S Tales From The Trail
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