A Walk Alone: Off-Season WLC Skill Practice

The Off-Season WLC Skill Practices are mini-challenges intended to help you fine-tune different aspects of your health and wellness. Offered between Challenges, these weekly practices address fitness, nutrition, stress reduction, productivity, and personal connection — because health is about far more than food and the gym (and we could all use a little practice)

Take a 10-Minute Walk Alone Each Day This Week

Simple Instructions:

1. For the next seven days, take a 10-minute walk each day (with no particular destination in mind).
2. This is a walk for its own sake (rather than walking to get somewhere), and should be considered personal time.
3. Use your walk for reflection, for generating calm, or as a break between activities. If you’re up for it, you can even try a walking meditation.
4. If you live somewhere with poor weather, consider walking anyway — just be sure to dress for the conditions.

Notes for This Skill Practice:

• The intention of this practice is to see if a short, daily walk helps your mindset. You might find yourself less stressed, more focused, and even a bit fitter after creating a regular walking habit.
• After seven days, you might choose to continue your daily walk — or you might let it go.  A quick tip: after the first week, see if you’re genuinely looking forward to your “walk to nowhere.” If so, consider continuing with your 10-minute journey.

Why Is This Skill Practice Important?

There are numerous mental and physical benefits to walking, some of which might surprise you:

• Walking has been shown to reduce sugar cravings and joint pain, improve immune functioning, and counteract weight promoting genes.
• Leisurely walking reduces depressive symptoms in women.
• Walking regularly can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
• Walking can prevent cognitive decline in older adulthood, even stabilizing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Regardless of why you begin a regular walking practice, you’ll likely find benefits that go far beyond the practical. Give it a shot for a week, and see if this is something you’ll add to your life — for the January Challenge and beyond.

Jon Gilson

Jon Gilson is a coach and writer, and the former CEO of the Whole Life Challenge.

Previously, he founded Again Faster Equipment, a functional fitness equipment company created to serve the CrossFit community. Established in 2006, Jon took the Company global in 2012, twice landing on the Inc. 500/5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies.

From 2007 to 2013, he served as a Senior Lecturer for CrossFit, Inc., training aspiring CrossFit trainers at over 100 seminars, including engagements in Iceland, Afghanistan, Moscow, Holland, the United States, and Canada. Jon also served on the CrossFit L1 Advisory Board, helping establish policy for the organization’s training efforts from 2011 to 2013.

He’s also done stints in state government, gym management, and consulting — and currently teaches classes at CrossFit City Line.

Jon graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2003, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in Psychology. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Finance and Control from the Harvard Extension School, 2006, and has completed coursework in data analytics.