Should I Walk Alone Or With a Friend
Walking is a fantastic form of exercise that everyone can do, whether
you are brand new to exercising or you have been doing it for years.
You can do it in any city and in a huge variety of locations (parks,
malls, public buildings). It is also something you can do by yourself
or with a friend. Choosing which one is for you isn't always easy to
do. You may find that the benefits of one works better for you then
another one or you may find that a combination of the two is what you
need.
Pros of Walking Solo.
While
walking by yourself isn't always the easiest thing to do, it does offer
a wide range of benefits. First you can go as fast or as slow as you
need to. This makes it easier for you to tailor your walking work out
to you. You don't have to worry about the person you are walking with
being faster or slower then yourself. All you have to do is walk at a
speed comfortable for you and one that meets your needs.
Another
great factor to walking by yourself is that you can meditate. This
isn't always easy for all of us, but it can add to the relaxation of
the activity. It can also make it possible for you to really enjoy
walking and to relieve some of the stress in your life. To meditate by
walking you can either choose to think about a single subject, you can
work on pushing all thoughts out of your brain, or even meditate on
your surroundings.
The final advantage of walking by yourself
may just be the biggest one. If you aren't depending on another person
to walk with then you don't have to worry about anyone else's schedule.
You don't have to worry about when the two of you can get together to
walk. Instead you walk when you have time to walk and leave it at that.
It can be a lot simpler, especially if you or the other person you
might walk with (or both of you) have a busy schedule making it hard to
fit walking time into it.
Pros of Walking With a Friend.
While
walking solo does have some advantages, so does walking with a friend.
The biggest one is the fact that you have a commitment to someone else
and you have them there for support. Getting into the habit of walking
regularly is hard to do. Having someone there to help you and to help
keep you motivated is a huge advantage. It is also good when you have
to keep them accountable as well. After all, you are on even playing
ground and you both need each other to make it through.
There
is also someone there to help push you on. They can encourage you to
work harder and walk faster or longer. You can do it, and they are
there to remind you of that fact. They are there to push you on to the
next hill.
Having someone to talk to can also be an advantage.
While meditating can be good, so can talking. A lot of people work
through a lot of life's problems by using friends and family members as
sounding boards. If you are walking with a friend then you have this as
a huge advantage of your regular walking routine.
Additionally
you will have someone to help you build up your discipline. Discipline
and positive habits aren't easy to build and having someone there to
help you will make it easier. It is said to take six to eight weeks to
build a positive habit. It is a good idea to walk regularly with a
person during this time and then decide if you guys want to keep
walking together or if it would be easier for you to walk by yourself.
Plus most of us won't leave a friend hanging, but it is super easy to
skip out on a walk if there isn't someone there to meet.
Oh
and one more added benefit includes safety. This is especially true in
the dark and in less desirable neighborhoods. There is power and
protection in numbers. If you want to get in an early morning walk or a
late evening (night during the summer) walk then doing so with a friend
is really the best option.
Choosing To Do Both.
Something
else you can do which can be a lot of help is to choose to do both.
This gives you the help, accountability, and the ability to work on
building positive habits with another person. But you can also walk
when you have the time, even if your walking partner doesn't have the
time. During these walks you can walk your best and your fastest, no
matter what you normally do with your partner. You can also use this
time to meditate on life, while you talk through your problems with
your friend. You then have the best of both worlds an only need to get
walking.
Choosing a Location.
Walking with yourself
means you might not want to choose some locations, especially in
certain seasons or in the dark. Consider a public building. You may
have to hunt around for one in your area that lets walkers walk there.
However, there are usually at least one. Many times it is a hospital, a
public service building, or even the buildings on a camp ground. This
way it doesn't matter what season it is or if it is dark outside.
If
you are walking together choice a place where it will be easy for both
of you to walk side by side. This maybe a neighborhood, a park, or a
public building or mall. If you are going to the mall make sure you
don't get distracted by shopping!
Walking is fantastic
exercise. It is free. You don't need any fancy equipment. It can happen
in a wide range of locations. You can learn to enjoy it and enjoy the
benefits that you feel from it as time passes. You can become addicted
to it (in a good way) if you get into the habit of walking regularly.
The only decision you need to make is whether or not to walk with a
friend. For most this is the best place to start because it forces you
out of the house, makes you accountable, and makes it easier to move
into the walking habit. However, this doesn't mean you are limited to
walking with a friend or walking with a friend forever.
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