I didn’t know what to do…so I took a walk.

It was the day before our annual on-air fundraiser. One of my jobs at the radio station is planning and directing the week-long fundraiser. A significant part of our revenue is provided by generous listeners. This allows us to run very few commercials.

A few days before the fundraiser began the local weather forecast started hinting about snow. Snow happens in Maryland during March, but not this late in the month and not the amount they were talking about.

The day before the fundraiser the forecast had coalesced and we were facing almost a foot of snow starting in 36 hours. This was not part of my planning. It was also not part of my experience. How would this impact response?

That’s when I took a walk.

There’s a lot of research linking physical activity, like walking, to better thinking. Without diving into the weeds of science it really comes down to your heart pumping more blood and oxygen to your brain. I don’t need to know how it all works, I just know that it does.

Anytime I have a problem or need clarity I go for a walk. That’s my default now. Currently I have four issues that are bouncing around my brain. I know that when I go for a walk later I’ll be able to work through these. I may not fully solve each one, but I’ll at least finish the walk knowing my “next step” for the most pressing problem.

It never fails. NEVER. Got a problem…I go for a walk.

Fitness takes time, but improved blood flow to your brain happens the moment you start walking. That means when you go for a 30 minute walk it’s also an opportunity to solve problems and find clarity.

I started walking that day with a snowstorm threatening to mess up my planning for our fundraiser. I was out for about 45 minutes. When I returned home I had a new plan. The snow fell two days later and it had a pretty big negative impact on the fundraiser. People were hunkered down at home watching TV…not listening to the radio.

But, my new plan considered that as a possibility. Despite this significant speed-bump we finished Fundraiser Week strong. In fact, it was one of our biggest fundraisers ever.

Even if there were zero fitness benefits from walking I would still do it every day just for the extra brain power.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

If you don’t have a daily Fitbit goal, I want to challenge you to give it a try. It will help you create a fitness habit which builds fitness momentum and eventually leads to fitness transformation.

I recommend The 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This free guide will walk you through how to get started. It’s very easy.

If you don’t have a Fitbit I recommend the Fitbit Inspire HR. This is the Fitbit I use to track my 20,000 steps a day. The Inspire HR also tracks your heart rate and sleep so you get an even wider picture of your fitness progress.

(By the way…if you use the links in this article to make a purchase this blog will receive a small commission. It won’t add anything to what you pay, but letting you know is the right thing to do)

This blog is designed to help you embrace walking as a fitness activity. It’s sustainable, flexible, effective, and fun. Every week I post new articles with stories and helpful suggestions to Win at Fitness.

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