PEP TALK: Power Talk for Walkers

“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re probably right.”—Henry Ford

     Whenever I quote Henry Ford in one of my walking classes, participants laugh and nod their heads knowingly. “Yep, that’s true,” they agree. We all know that our thoughts have a lot to do with what we accomplish in life. Of course, thoughts can’t protect us from disappointment, discouragement, or even from failure, but they can determine how we respond.
     I’ve been walking lately with a friend who is training to walk a marathon. Although I’m not planning to join her for the event, I wanted the challenge of increasing the length of my walks. When we set out one Sunday for an eight-mile walk, I wasn’t worried about going the distance, but I knew it would push me a bit.
     Change Your Mind: By six miles out, I could feel the weight of weariness begin to settle in my legs. We stopped to stretch and drink some water. The pause refreshed my muscles and my mind. When we returned to the path, I took control of the thoughts in my head. Instead of listening to “I’m getting tired,” I switched channels intentionally. For a while, I sang to myself: “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.” It’s simple tool… but successful. The words perked up my energy and my step. I had changed my mind.
    My experience on the walk was a temporary change, of course. It simply stopped the mental pattern that was producing protests and replaced it with something neutral. But the outcome was that I finished the eight-mile route feeling energetic and successful.
    Cognitive Restructuring: Herbert Benson, MD, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute of Harvard Medical School and author of Timeless Healing, says that we have the ability to rewire our brains and modify the automatic responses that limit us. Because the brain is ever-changing, we can revise thinking patterns and actually restructure neural pathways by changing the way we talk to ourselves, he says.
    Many exercises in The Spirited Walker incorporate movement with use of power statements and visual imagery so that positive messages are carried into every cell of the body. The rhythm of walking and the repetition of “Yes, I can” messages creates momentum that changes not only minds, but exercise routines.
     Say Something Nice: Take time on your next fitness walk to pay attention to what is going on in your head. When you hear yourself fretting, or complaining, or blaming, take charge of your mind and change it. Block the pattern with a new phrase. Try repeating, “I am walking, I am happy.” Just repeat the words mentally as you walk. Or, sing to yourself: “Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a wonderful day, etc.” Use the power of your mind to give yourself a break from thoughts that raise doubt. “I think I can, I think I can. I know I can.”
     It’s simple. Even silly. But often successful!

PEP TALK: Getting Started

Get in Step with The Spirited Walker

    This non-traditional walking book is filled with encouragement, instruction, and inspiration that guides walkers to a path of fitness for body, mind, and spirit. Spirited Walking is a merger of muscles and mind. Mind your step and discover a new route to well-being:

1. Take a Step
    Spirited Walking begins with the simple act of walking. Whether you walk around the kitchen table or trek across the country, the action changes your perspective. It offers a fresh point of view.

2. Adopt an Attitude
    Pay attention to how you talk to yourself when you exercise. The words you use reflect an attitude that is more important than where you walk, how far you walk and how fast you move.

3. Go for More
    Step out of ruts. Try something different. Pick up the pace. Extend your route. Ask more than usual of yourself. You'll set off an exploration that gets things moving in other parts of your life as well.

4. Move toward Meditation
    Meditation is not a posture, not a place. It is a constant practice of connecting with the present. It is a way of walking through life with awareness, seeking to make conscious choices in everything you do.

5. Silence the Chatter
    Spirited Walking stills the endless stream of mental babble that can spin you off course. Whether you walk alone or with companions, Spirited Walking creates an interlude of active meditation which restores focus and inner resources.

6. Mine the Metaphor
    Walkers move forward. Take active steps. Advance toward a goal. Walking is changing position. Let the metaphors remind you of the power of moving toward a goal, keeping commitments and making positive choices.

7. Practice Patience
    How many tries did it take you to learn to tie your shoes? To sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?” Learning to become a Spirited Walker is like learning anything. First you need to be motivated. Then you must practice, practice, practice.