“Motivation is a practice, not an feeling”

Walking is the best way to start and sustain your wellness journey. Whether you are attempting to lose weight, or improve your emotional wellbeing, walking is an accessible activity for anyone wanting to increase their level of physical activity. In today’s episode we provide an overview of the benefits of walking and what you will need to get started. We also discuss tips to improve motivation, a skill set you will need to keep you going for years to come.

Welcome to Episode 67: Kickstart Your Wellness

1. What We Do:
   
   • Behavioural Medicine and Health Psychology
     
   • Providing easily accessible content designed to help you design your own transformative experience.
     
   
   
2. Today:
   
   • Quick overview of how to kickstart your wellness through walking, whether a consistent stroll or power walking session.
     
   
   

Defining Walking as Fitness

1. “Purposeful walking activity focused on improving mobility and cardiovascular fitness.
   
2. Walking may take place outdoors or on a treadmill.
   

Health Benefits

1. Burns calories in Zone 1 and Zone 2 (fat burning).
   
2. Low propensity for injury.
   
3. Improves anxiety
   
4. For Injured Runners: Improves blood flow to injured areas and builds muscle around the injury (e.g., knee injury).
   

What You Need

1. The right shoes – Top priority for any new fitness walker.
   
2. Decide to go tech or old school.
   
3. Decide to go solo or with others.
   
4. Decide on distance vs. time.
   
5. Decide on headphones (music or podcast distraction) vs. mental flow.
   

Motivation for Walkers and Runners

1. Whether you are kickstarting a walking or running fitness plan, it is important to plan for low motivation days.
   
2. Trick #1: Behavioural Activation – “Just Do It”
   
3. Trick #2: Acknowledge the message your brain is giving you and say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
   
4. Trick #3: Engage meta-cognition – Stepping outside yourself as an observer (self-coaching).
   
   1. “You need this right now.”
      
   2. “You got this.”
      
   3. “You got it done!”
      
   
   
5. The Requirement Paradox
   
   1. Saying to yourself, “You don’t have to,” reinforces choice. When you feel like you have a choice, there is the strongest possibility that you will keep going because you want to, not because you, “…have to”.