In his Walk and Be Well reflection of a few days ago, the Rev. Dr. William Watson III quoted the words of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard: “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day, I walk myself into a state of well-being…” 

For the past 28 days, you have been doing the same. With Bill Watson, the Rev. Renée Miller, the Rev. Dr. Jackie Cameron, and Elizabeth McKay Moosbrugger as your companions, you have trodden a path toward wellness.

Some days may have been easier than others. But now is not the time to slow down. You are a walker and can keep pace with whatever walking goals you set for the future.

Remember, there are resources available to help you stay on track. 

Walking with a group of friends or an exercise partner can make the experience more fun, and a buddy or coach can support your goals and help hold you accountable.

Congratulations on completing this 28-day walking program. You have accomplished a significant goal, and it is time for a victory lap. After that – keep walking!

Music by Fran McKendree.

Read more about the Walk and Be Well contributors.

For more information about walking, click here.

“The triple habit of looking back, looking around, and looking ahead seems like a good one to cultivate for the sake of physical health.”

28 days. Four weeks. Nearly a month out of your year. That type of commitment to your health makes a difference.

Today, the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Cameron and the Rev. Renée Miller invite you to see your life in three dimensions — “looking back, looking around and looking forward” — to claim the changes that you’ve made, relish your experience, and set your sights on a healthy future.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“If you planned to walk five times a week for 30 minutes each walk, but only managed 20 minutes for a day or two per week, this is not the time to quit. It’s time to realize that you actually can make lasting change — because you already have!”

Small steps. They may seem inconsequential, but think of the first small step a baby takes. That initial halting step changes a child’s whole identity from infant to toddler. And the steps you’re taking toward greater health and well-being are changing who you are as well.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“We really feel better after we walk.  Walking releases more of our body’s natural antidepressants, endorphins, which increase our sense of well-being and joy.”

Walking benefits us physically, psychologically and spiritually. It strengthens our bones, builds our muscles, decreases our risk of disease, and improves our outlook. Today, the Rev. Dr. William Watson III offers one of the most compelling reasons for walking. Plus, the Rev. Renée Miller invites us to consider the deep impact of taking a walk with God.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“When meaningful work is well done, we feel accomplished and proud, whether it is a well-tended garden, a balanced budget or following a walking meditation.”

Today, the Rev. Renée Miller and Elizabeth McKay Moosbrugger talk about work.  When we engage in meaningful work, whatever its form, we consider the time and effort well spent. The task or activity may require strength and persistence, but good work gives us energy and enthusiasm, and we feel ready to go out and work again.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

 “Today, I want to address yet another area of impact, and it is one that you may not be aware of. Walking also has an impact upon cancer and malignant disease.”

We are not always aware of the good we are doing. That’s certainly true with walking. We are affecting our body at every level including the cellular, and that’s positive news when we are faced with disease. Today, The Rev. Dr. William Watson III and the Rev. Renée Miller discuss the unseen, interior benefits of engaging in healthy practices such as physical exercise and prayer.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“How do we turn four weeks’ worth of good intentions, focus, and action into a healthier way of life that endures?”

You are in the home stretch of this walking program. Now’s the time to consider ways to keep yourself on the wellness track. When setting goals for holistic health, it's best to leverage your efforts by keeping those goals SMART. Today the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Cameron and the Rev. Renée Miller talk about endurance and using SMART goals to set ourselves up for successful long-term wellness practices.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“Walking, like all exercise, has a beneficial effect upon the levels of fat traveling in our blood stream. Not only that, exercise has a beneficial impact on the relative proportions of these fatty components. ”

Do you know your cholesterol levels, the LDL and HDL counts that indicate the amount and type of fat in your blood? Today, the Rev. Dr. William Watson III discusses why those levels are so important, and how walking can positively impact the makeup of our blood. Plus, the Rev. Renée Miller talks about how prayer and meditation are the lifeblood of our spiritual lives.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“Researchers who study the science of behavior change have determined that the 21st day is of particular importance. ...  At 21 days you have begun to alter the pattern of your life in a tangible and repeatable way.  Walking has become a routine, your pattern of daily activity.”

You are now a walker. Each step you’ve taken over the past 21 days has helped instill a walking habit that has become part of your day. Today, the Rev. Dr. William Watson III and the Rev. Renée Miller explore the value of regular practice in forming habits, and how those habits can keep us on track, even in the face of resistance.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!

“We are built to move! If we don’t move, nearly every system in the body begins to break down. This is most pronounced in people who are confined to a bed (for whatever reason), but a lot of dysfunction and breakdown occurs even when one just lives a very sedentary life, or sits for many hours each day.”

We don’t have to look far to find compelling reasons for beginning and maintaining a walking program. Today, the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Cameron outlines how crucial exercise is for our muscles, joints, bones — even our digestion. Regular practice, both physical and spiritual, may be work, but as the Rev. Renée Miller explains, it's work that gives us energy.

So lace up your shoes and start walking!