I was talking to a client of mine the other day, and she was telling me about a German colleague of hers and how the city he was from had a very interesting walking tradition. Every Sunday, the whole family would go out for a walk around the neighborhood. My thought was, what a great way to get some exercise for the whole family, and get to know your neighbors at the same time. Another great benefit of taking family walks is that you will get to strengthen the bond with your kids. Studies have shown that kids tend to talk to their parents more when they take long walks together. You see, when the family just sits at home, the kids usually are playing video games or watch their iPads, and they are not talking as much. So walking is not just good for the health of the family, but also a great way to talk with your kids and bond with them.
This story reminded me how in Greece, we have a similar tradition. Whenever we would go out to a restaurant for dinner, we wouldn't just go to the restaurant, sit, and eat. We would first walk back and forth at the paralia (Every city or town next to the ocean has a paralia. Paralia is what Greek people call the street next to the ocean and that is where most of the restaurants are). It was a casual, slow walk and we would talk about all different subjects. Usually, the whole family would be participating in the conversation. Because almost everyone in my city would take that walk at the paralia, it was a great way to stay in touch with people. Back when I lived in Greece, not everyone had a telephone in their home. Many times we would also take a walk after dinner.
Talking to another client of mine, who had lived in Italy, told me that the Italians have similar walking traditions.
The interesting part is that people did not walk because it was good for their health, but because it was something nice to do and also a great way to meet and talk to your neighbors and friends. The health benefits were just the side effect, not the goal. If you look at other European nations, you will find that most of them have some type of walking tradition.
This got me thinking. Why can't we start our own walking traditions, something that we can pass down to our kids just like many healthy European regions have done? I am not talking about walking clubs. I am talking about families starting a tradition of taking a walk together in their neighborhood every Saturday or Sunday, or both days when the whole family is together. I think is a great tradition to start. It is good for our health, a great way to bond with our kids and a great way to meet our neighbors. Keep in mind, I am not talking about power walks or speed walks, I am talking about strolls. Don't worry about your heart rate, or if you are breaking a sweat or not, just walk. You will get benefits from walking whether you get your heart rate up or not. Another great benefit of walking slowing is that it is very relaxing for the mind. I personally like slow walks and find them very relaxing.
My family and I have started doing these walks every weekend. Yes, there are weekends that we skip but we always try to get out and walk together as a family as often as we can.
At Live Your Way Thin, we want to start a family walking tradition. We ask all the families who read this article to make it a point every weekend to take a walk together in your neighborhood. Please don't let a little rain or snow stop you. I think is a great tradition that every family in America should start. As a side benefit, you will also finally get to meet your neighbors. If you live in an area that you can't safely walk in your neighborhood, see if you can find a park nearby that you can go with the family and walk. I think this is a tradition worth developing as a family and as a country.
I would love to hear from all the families who started this new walking tradition. Let’s make it a Connecticut family walking tradition and, hopefully, other states will also adopt this great tradition. Also, if you have any suggestions as to how we can help spread the word about this tradition so it can take root, I would love to hear them! Please share this article with your neighbors, family and friends.
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