Walking Clubs for Fitness Motivation

I know a woman, a friend of a friend, who has a gorgeous figure. She's slim and has a very healthy glow about her. She's no young pup in her twenties. She was born the same year as me.

And the secret to her fit body and vibrant looks is a regular walking regiment. She started this a few years ago, when her two kids were still in elementary school. She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed solitary walks so she joined a local walking club. She's been very serious about it since and walks at least twenty miles a week. Although she's a very social person and has always attracted lots of friends, the four or five women she walks with regularly have become her closest friends by far.

The walking club seems to provide much more than a way to get fit and healthy. The friendships that she's developed there go a long way in making life much more interesting and joyful. Why pay a psychiatrist $150 an hour to discuss your problems when you can walk and talk it out every day with an understanding friend?

I set a goal of walking at least twenty miles a week almost a year ago. But I've failed to do this. Maybe I should consider a walking club. It's not easy to do when you've got a toddler but this is what I've been thinking about lately. These days it's easier to find the local walking clubs in your area. You can just type in 'walking club' and your city name and get some good leads. But the local community centre is probably the best place to start inquiring.
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The lovely duck walking photo above is by Pieter Pieterse

Walking for Weight Loss

Beginning a routine of regular walking is a fabulous way to quickly lose weight, boost your mood and tone your body. Here's Don Cowan's story. He lost 58 pounds in three months due to his intense walking schedule. He didn't even need to bother with a diet. The pounds just slipped off.

His is my personal favorite walking story at Walker's Warehouse. Check out their site for more inspirational stories about walking and weight loss. Cowen's comments were published a couple of years ago;

I lost my job last year and was not having any luck in finding another one. I became depressed I and starting eating a lot around October last year. By Jan. 27th of this year I had gained 68 lbs, I weighed a whopping 288lbs !!!!! I was so disgusted with myself. I started the very next day to walk. I barely was able to get in a mile the first day. I slowly increased my distance everyday challenging myself to go a little further. Now it is 3 months later and I have lost 58 lbs !!!! I am up to 8 miles per day in about 2 hours time. The weight just seemed to be falling off. I am within 10 lbs of my goal, but I never plan to stop walking. Not only are there physical benefits, but the emotional, mental benefits are absolutely amazing. You can bet that I will be a lot more confident at that next job interview. I am 51 years old, so it is never too late to start walking. My neighbors who have seen me out on the roads tell me what an inspiration I have been to them. I urge anyone who wants to lose weight and improve their mental capacity to start walking. They will never regret it. Also, the exercise curbed my appetite so I lost weight without having to think about dieting.