Walking for a Cause

For those of us who crave the social interaction and camaraderie of a common pursuit, walking alone may feel like just a chore. It may be difficult to continually motivate yourself to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement. You need a more fun and immediate purpose to get you excited about exercising. Well rest assured that you are not alone!

Many people want to feel part of something bigger—to feel that they are working towards a larger goal that can help others in addition to improving their own health. If you are someone who wants to use your energy to create a positive impact, try walking to benefit a cause that is meaningful to you. All over the world, each and every weekend, charitable events both big and small are held to raise funding for health causes such as AIDS, cancer, and diabetes research. For example, Relay for Life is the well known fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. In addition to raising over 3 billion dollars towards cancer research, Relay for Life is a bonding experience that celebrates the lives of cancer survivors, remembers those who lost their lives to cancer, and unites communities in the fight against cancer. Or, if you have that activist spirit, you can participate in a walk or a march in support of a social cause such as hunger relief. The CROP walk, for example, is a community-wide event sponsored by Church World Service to raise funds to end hunger both in the community and around the world.

In order to get involved and to prepare for a charity walk, the first step is to seek out a charity based a cause that is important to you. Then, determine your own personal goals for the walk. If you are looking to bring friends along and enjoy a social atmosphere, register for a mile walk or a 5K. If you have the urge to test your fitness, shoot for a further distance such as a 10K or a half marathon distance. Be sure to realize your fitness level first by determining how many minutes you can walk at a continuous pace. In general, it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk a mile at a moderate pace. Use this as your guide and work to build your endurance every day.

So get inspired and go for it! Get your friends and family involved. Round up a team. Make T-shirts. Get outside for a weekend walk and feel good about using your energy and enthusiasm to support a cause.