A couple of years ago I read Erling Kagge's book titled Walking - One Step at a Time, which had a big impact on me. I'd be lying if I said that since then I've been walking everywhere, but I certainly walk when I can, in the city, but mostly in green environments. No wonder I wanted to bring my passion for walking into my coaching practice. But of course, I'm not doing it only for my own benefit - walking has so many positive effects on our bodies, minds and souls and when coupled with coaching, I think it can work wonders.
In general, the vast majority of people who come to a coach spend a significant part of their day sedentary, at home or in the office. Imagine being in the same position or even the same place for the whole day and having to face your current challenges and find solutions to them in the same environment. Of course, many successful coaching processes take place in such settings, thanks to well-trained colleagues and proven tools. But what would happen if we ventured out into nature and started walking?
There is now a wealth of research supporting the positive effects of walking on physical, psychological and cognitive levels:
Harvard Medical School research shows that walking for 2.5 hours a week - just 21 minutes a day - can reduce the risk of heart problems by up to 30%.
A Stanford University study showed that walking in nature has a better effect on mental well-being and stress management than walking in the city.
Another study found that walking for 2.5 hours a week improves mood and alleviates symptoms of depression.
Another Stanford University study showed that walking can improve creative thought flow by up to 60%.
A study published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences showed that regular walking can help prevent the decline of brain function in old age, thereby improving memory.
If you want to read more scientific research on the subject, I recommend this article.
Research is very important, but our own experience is at least equally important. I would add the following to the list above:
When I walk in a place where there are trees and I can see the sky, I immediately feel better because I am surrounded by a much larger space, my mind becomes clearer, the rushing stream of thoughts goes away and new perspectives open up to me to solve challenges. I feel more confident and believe that I can do anything.
If I'm walking alone and doing nothing else (no listening to music, podcasts, etc.), I start to pay attention to my breat, which immediately calms me down and puts me in a completely different, relaxed state.
Walking is a great way to combine meeting with friends. I often organise walking get-togethers with friends, making it not only enjoyable but healthy too.
It all sounds very good, doesn't it? But how can you combine this with coaching? I'll be honest - I think it's a lot easier than you might think.
We need a calm, green environment where we can walk for about 1 hour without encountering any particular obstacles. It's the coach's responsibility to find such locations and make 2-3 suggestions to the client.
Note-taking can be a challenge in walking coaching, but if the client (or even the coach) is keen to write something down, they can always stop and write it down in a notebook or on their phone (e.g. "aha" experiences, homework). It may be helpful for the coach to write down the most important parts of the conversation when they get home, so that they can remember them more easily for the next meeting, and it may be helpful for the client to take a quiet moment to write down the next steps that they have discussed during the walk.
Many people worry about bad weather. On one hand, it's important to define bad weather - just because it's cold, it's still okay to go out for a walk. There is a saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. Pouring rain can be a challenge, so in extreme weather you can certainly postpone the meeting or make it an online one.
If for some reason a face-to-face meeting is not possible, walking coaching can be transformed into an online walking conversation. This is of course not the same experience as face-to-face meeting. It's not a good choice for the first time, but once trust has been between the client and the coach, I think it can work perfectly well.
Overall, I would encourage everyone to walk more, preferably for half an hour every day (get off the bus earlier and walk home - it counts!) and to give walking coaching a try, because it can open up new horizons and bring unexpected positive effects into your life.
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