Lessons Learned from Being a Walking Metronome
The surprising benefits of rhythmic movement
Once a week, I do a long walk as part of my training to walk a half marathon at the end of April. Walking long distances can be almost as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging. I’ve adopted a new approach to that challenge that I’m going to stick with. I’ve become a human walking metronome, and it’s made all the difference.
How I got here
In January 2023, I signed up to walk a half marathon in April. I was walking pretty regularly but had certainly done nothing close to 13.1 miles. I wanted the challenge. And I knew the required discipline would have physical and mental benefits.
About the same time, I also started meeting with a personal trainer about once a week. She pushed me to do more than I thought I could, and I loved it. I couldn’t believe how much better my body and mind felt with regular exercise.
I did my longest walks of the week every Sunday, walking a little farther each week. As the distance I walked grew, I found the mental challenge growing. When you walk for one to four hours, you need something to occupy your mind.
I tried music and audiobooks. They each worked okay but still didn’t quite do the job. My brain constantly…
