Walking Together: Finding Your Walking Buddies

Walking solo can be a pretty wonderful thing. You can go whenever you want, wherever you want, for as long (or short) as you want, at whatever pace you want. You can listen to your favorite music—or a podcast or an audiobook. You can enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. You can catch your breath and enjoy a little time to think.

But walking with a buddy (or two…or three) has its benefits, too. You can encourage each other and challenge each other and keep each other accountable—because, let’s face it: it’s easier to skip a walk if no one is counting on you. You can build new friendships or catch up with old friends, too. And, as I once saw in a hilarious TikTok video, you can solve the world’s problems and possibly prevent the murders of those who have angered you while walking with your best walking buddies. And when you’re walking with a friend and chatting about your life, the time just seems to fly by.  My walks tend to be a whole lot longer when I’ve got a friend with me.

But finding good walking buddies isn’t always easy. For me, they didn’t just make themselves available. I had to talk about walking and invite my friends along—and you’ll want to do the same.  Mention it to some of your friends—and maybe post on social media to see if anyone wants to join you.  You might even search around to see if there are any walking groups in the area.  Just get creative!  One of my best walking buddies, Lynne, is someone I met because she posted in a local running group, asking if anyone wanted to walk with her—and we’ve been walking together for the last two years!

For me, some of my walking buddy hopefuls didn’t stick. Some became the kind of walking buddies who join me every once in a while. But some became my walking regulars—the ones who enjoy this walking journey with me on a regular basis. 

As you search for walking buddies, there are some things to consider:

SCHEDULES

Not everyone is available at the same time. Work schedules and family responsibilities vary, and sometimes it can be hard to find overlapping time.  I have a pretty flexible schedule during the day, with my biggest time commitments coming when my daughter is home from school. Then I’m juggling meals and sports practice and homework help and bedtime routines. Fortunately, I have some walking buddies who can walk with me in the morning after the school bus pulls through the neighborhood, in the evenings between dinner and bedtime, and on the weekends.  I even have one who moved out of state, so we schedule times to walk together while talking on the phone!  It may take some time and effort to find those times, but once you do, it’s nice to know who is available when.

COMMITMENT AND RELIABILITY

I realize that not everyone is as committed as I am. For me, walking is high on my priority list. It’s my way of staying in healthy and in shape. It’s my personal time or my social time, depending on the day. And it’s important for my mental health, too. For other people, it’s not quite as important. It’s a once-in-a-while kind of thing. If something else comes up, the walk is the first to go. So when you’re looking for a walking buddy, it’s important to find someone who shares your level of commitment. Know which of your buddies are the kind who might go for a walk if they have the time when you mention it. Know which ones will make a plan and maybe back out at the last minute. And know which ones will schedule regular walks and follow through. 

PACE AND ENDURANCE

To me, this point isn’t quite as important. I’m happy to walk with anyone who wants to go for a walk. I don’t care if they’re just starting out and need to go for a short stroll, if they’re up for something a little longer and more brisk, or if they’re up for a Saturday afternoon 10-miler. Just be aware of what you’re working with before you start—and know what to expect. If you’re trying to push yourself, a walk with a friend who thinks that walking a mile in a half hour is ideal, you’re going to be frustrated. But if you know what to expect, you’re more likely to enjoy the time. 

PERSONALITY

I know it pretty much goes without saying, but walk with someone you like. If you’re going to be walking with someone, you’ll be spending hours with them. And if you just don’t click, it’ll be a looooooong walk. Find someone who shares at least some of your interests—someone you can chat with and laugh with and maybe even build a solid friendship with. And that will just make your walking all the more meaningful. 

Once you have a few walking buddies, you can build a schedule. I like to mix it up—solo walks and buddy walks. And having plenty of walking buddies—people of all fitness levels and commitment levels and schedules—means that I’ve got plenty of options when I just don’t feel like walking alone and I need someone to give me a little extra motivation.  Make yourself a list of your walking crew (there’s one included in the Will Walk for Coffee Walking Journal in the Will Walk for Coffee Etsy shop!), and keep it handy, so you’ll always have someone to contact when you want some company on the trail.

Do you have a walking buddy (or a whole team of them)?  What do you love about your walking buddy? Which factors are most important to you when it comes to your walking buddies?

Kristin

Kristin has been hitting the trail (or the treadmill) for a walk almost every day for the past several years, and she recently completed her first half marathon. She loves sunny fall days, cushy walking shoes, and coconut caramel iced coffee from Dunkin.

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