Benefits of walking with others

For many people, walking is both a fun and relaxing way to burn calories and get their heart pumping. Even better, you don’t have to work out alone... unless you want to. The fact is, walking with a group comes with added benefits. Walking groups are more popular than ever before. Here are just a few of the reasons why.

They Keep You Going

When you walk with a group, as opposed to by yourself, you better commit to adhering to an established routine. If it’s just you, it’s easy to cancel your weekly walk or hike and no one will be the wiser. But, when a group of friends is involved, they help to keep you motivated. Once your friends and family become part of your walking routine, they typically provide encouragement when it comes to setting and reaching fitness goals.

They Make Things Fun

Walking or hiking consistently becomes tedious for some people. But, walking with a group brings forward the opportunity for new conversation each time you meet, which keeps things fun and engaging. When you chat, laugh and have a good time while you walk, you’ll generally feel much better once you're back home. 

Not only that, but walking with friends, family or new acquaintances builds a stronger relationship between everyone who participates. Friends may also have something interesting to contribute to the group, such as a new hiking route or fresh ideas for healthy snacks on-the-go.

They Make You Feel Better

A walking group provides support and entertainment. In addition, routine interaction with friends can help soothe depression or anxiety. Walking (and exercise in general) is already a therapeutic experience. 

When you exercise your body releases endorphins, which cause feelings of happiness and excitement. But, when you walk with a group, you also get to experience positive conversations and interactions which can boost your confidence, mood and self-esteem.

You Get Quality Time

Going on walks with your friends and family strengthens the bond between one another. It’s hard to be involved in each other’s lives when we’re so distracted with our work, school and technology. Providing an outlet to freely communicate without distractions is an easy way to catch up with what’s going on in each other’s lives, as well as encouraging more conversation in the future.

These walks don't need to be long and time-consuming, by any means. Even walking for 20 to 30 minutes, two or three times a week, is beneficial. It's healthy for your mind, body and spirit. If you get your children involved at an early age, they'll be much more inclined to incorporate a walking regimen into their daily routine as they get older.      

Whether it’s friends, family or people you've recently met, bringing along company when you go for a walk goes a long way toward making your trip more entertaining and therapeutic. If you currently don’t know anyone who's willing to join you, look into local walking groups either online or at your local gym.

Up next, we'll be talking about a few issues you may face when walking and how to avoid them.