by Crystal McCormick Ware
I have always been a walker of some sort, it has always been an enjoyment. Walking was always more enjoyable to me than riding a bike or running. It allowed me to daydream when I was little, and to sight see and look at the architecture of houses, and wonder about the people who lived in these houses. My mother and grandmother were walkers, most likely because they didn’t drive cars and had to walk everywhere in order to complete a task. I was with one or the other at all times, so it was easy for me to develop this habit as well.
As I got older, I walked more for exercise. In college I walked to stay in shape and to see what was happening on campus; after school, I liked to walk to the neighborhood grocery story, the local thrift shop, and other places, just to clear my head of any worries.
Later in life, I would walk to bond with a fellow co-worker and talk about career development, professional development, and I served as a mentor. It allowed me to speak to this colleague on a more personal basis outside of the office.
Presently, I walk to bond with another colleague at another institution, but the benefits are the same. We stay in shape, we offer each other advice, talk about our children, their schools, and our hopes and dreams for them. Time goes by very quickly when we walk because we have a genuine interest in each others careers, and personal lives. Each hour that we walk allows us to become closer in our bonding. There are days when one of each or both of us would rather not walk, and eat out with other colleagues, however; the benefit of walking with each other has allowed us to keep each other on task. We have walked in the hottest of weather (100 degrees), to the coldest (subzero temperatures), but we have never regretted walking after we have completed our mission.
My advice to any person who would like to jumpstart any exercise program: The average person should take at least 10,000 steps per day, and if you want to lose weight, a minimum of 12,000 steps should be taken. I have walked up to 17,000 steps in one day, which is a far cry from when I was in the worst shape of my life and barely making 5,000 per day (that was two years ago!).
Whether you walk with a companion, by yourself quietly, or with your IPod in tow, walking does the body good!
Crystal McCormick Ware is the Director of Communications, Marketing and Diversity Initiatives at a university.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Junior League of Pittsburgh, the Harmony Club of Homestead, and Jack and Jill of America. Crystal is the proud mother of 11 year old Madison McKenzie Ware.
